Hide and Seek
by BubblyShell22
Summary: While chasing a wanted fugitive, Officer Aubree Hennigan encounters four mutant turtles and a mutant rat. Soon, one of the Turtles becomes involved in a way he never thought he would be. Leo/OC. First in the Deadly Game series.
1. Chapter 1

Hide and Seek

Chapter 1: Coffee Stains, Bruised Knees, and Mutant Turtles

A/N: Hey, remember when I said on Stealthy Stories that I'd never write a romance? Well, I've decided to try my hand at it. This is actually a response to a challenge on Stealthy Stories issued by Mutant Rebel who challenged writers to write a story about a TMNT/OC pairing of a different variety. So, this is my take on what might happen if a Turtle were to fall in love with an OC. Be warned: This is not a story where the Turtle in question falls in love at first sight. If you're looking for that type of story, this isn't it. Also, there will be quite a bit of bad language in here mainly on Aubree's part, so I'm just warning you guys now about it in advance. Other than that, there's nothing else for me to warn you about, so I hope you enjoy this little tale.

Disclaimer (This is the only time I'm putting this here): I don't own the TMNT or any related characters. They belong to Nickelodeon Studios. Aubree Hennigan is mine as well as any other characters you may not recognize.

Summary: While trying to catch a wanted fugitive, Officer Aubree Hennigan runs into more than she bargained for, including four mutant turtles and a mutant rat. Soon, the mutants are involved in her life, and one of the Turtles becomes involved in a way he never thought he would be. Leo/OC.

Have you ever had one of those days where everything gets crazy? Well, I pretty much had that happen today. Well, technically, it happened at night, too, but you know what I mean. First, I spilled coffee on my pants, then I practically bruised my knees taking down a crook, and finally I woke up in a sewer inhabited by four giant turtles and a giant rat. Sounds crazy, right? Well, I can tell you that it's true. I guess I'm getting ahead of myself, so I better start from the beginning….

On my way to work, I stopped at a coffee shop to get my fix. While they serve coffee at the precinct, it doesn't taste as good. I got outside after paying for my coffee and get into my car. As I tried to lift the small tab to open the cup, the whole lid somehow came off, and coffee spilled all over my pants.

"Dammit!" I cursed. I found some tissues in my car and tried wiping my pants. As I was doing so outside my car, a little kid walked by with his mother and yelled, "Mommy, look, that lady peed her pants!" I shot a glare his way and longed to snap the cuffs on him. I called the precinct and told them I'd be a little late due to the coffee incident.

"Well, that's new!" Tamika, the secretary, said. "Just take your time, Aubree. It happens to all of us."

I thanked her, hurried home, and changed my pants. Then I headed to work for real, hoping that I wasn't going to be teased. As I entered the precinct, my brother, Ben, spotted me and came over.

"Hey, I see you survived the coffee spill," he teased.

"Yeah, I did," I replied. "So, what's going on with you?"

"Not much," he answered. "It's kind of quiet without you there. You sure you're happy at your place?"

I smiled. "Dead sure," I replied. Before I got my apartment, I lived with Ben to save on rent. Even though I loved my apartment, it sometimes would get lonely without him there.

"Okay," Ben said. "You want to come over and watch wrestling tonight?"

"I'd love to, but I've got plans already made," I told him. In truth, I did have plans made, but not what one might think. I was secretly planning to try and hunt down a known Purple Dragon fugitive by the name of Mario Rosolli. While I knew it was a dumb thing to do without letting anyone know about it, it was the best thing I could think of. One of my informants had told me where the Dragons were going to be, and I was determined to get Rosolli once and for all.

"Oh, that's cool," Ben said. "Have fun."

I was about to respond when the chief came in, and we had to go into the briefing room. We all took our seats and waited until the roll was called. Once that was done, the chief stood behind the podium and looked at all of us, his eyes sweeping the room to make sure we were all looking at him.

"I just want to tell you all to be safe out there," he said. "Today will be mostly focused on drug dealers and other cases that might come in while you're on duty. Do your job and stay safe out there. You're dismissed."

After he dismissed us, we all headed to our patrol cars. I said goodbye to Ben and wished him luck just like always. He replied, "Same to you, sis." Both of us had become police officers after our dad was killed in the September eleventh attacks. I had a feeling he'd be proud of both of us.

I went to my car and got ready to go on patrol. I really hoped it would be a productive day and that I'd catch some crooks who needed to be locked up. There was always something satisfying about catching a criminal and taking them off the street. It always gave me a rush. Just as I was thinking about this, I spotted two people talking in an alley. I parked my car and decided to see what they were up to.

"Hey, what's up?" one of them asked me.

"Not much," I replied. "What are you doing in this alley? Shouldn't you be in school?"

"We dropped out," the first kid said. "We were just meeting to go to dinner."

"It's eight-thirty in the morning," I told him. "I saw you pass him something in a bag. What is that?"

"That was a video game," the second kid said. "I've wanted to borrow it for a long time now, and he finally gave it to me."

Something about the nervousness in his voice triggered my suspicions. I was about to tell them to lean up against my car when the first boy bolted. I took off after him, intent on getting him to confess. As I was chasing him, I tripped over a trash can, hitting both my knees on it and possibly bruising them. I let out a curse and continued my pursuit of the boy. I called for backup and let them know what was going on and that there was another boy who was with this one. They responded that they would be there soon. The boy was fast, but I managed to take him down before he climbed a fence. I reported that he was in custody and put the cuffs on him.

"Why you gotta be like that?" he whined.

"You shouldn't have run," I told him. "It all would have been easier if you'd surrendered." I searched him and found a small bag of marijuana in his pocket. I hoped the other officers had caught the second suspect and had confiscated the bigger bag. I put the kid in the car and read him his rights After I was done, he said, "I ain't sayin' nothin', bitch."

"Fine by me, pothead," I retorted. Technically, that wasn't the right way to react, but I'd had enough of this kid. He made me trip over a trash can for Pete's sake. I probably had busted kneecaps. Why should I treat him with any level of respect? I was glad no officers were around to hear my exchange because then I'd be in trouble.

Luis Garcia arrived and came over to my car. "So, you caught him?" he asked.

"What was your first clue?" I teased. "Did you get the other one?"

"Yep," he answered. "Found a big bag of dope on him."

"Yeah, I found a smaller bag on this one," I replied.

"Good job," Luis said. "Two more drug dealers off the streets."

"Yep," I said. "I'd better get this one down to the precinct. See you later, Luis."

"See you, Aub," he responded.

When I got into the car, the boy, who told me his name was Aaron, said, "Why you gotta disrespect me like that?"

"How did I disrespect you?" I asked him.

"By callin' me pothead," he told me.

"You are a pothead," I replied. "When you smoke pot, that's what you are."

"Like you didn't do that when you was a kid?" he retorted.

"No, I didn't," I said. "I was the daughter of a cop, and I knew what would happen if I did do those things. I've seen a lot of stuff over the years, even when I was your age. I knew better than to let my life get ruined by drugs. My father taught me that drugs and alcohol aren't the answer to the problem. You need to talk to someone if you're having trouble. Drugs and alcohol just make your problems worse. We're not trying to hurt you, Aaron. We're trying to get you on the right path."

He didn't answer, and I was glad of that. I really wasn't in the mood to argue with him. I dropped him off at the precinct and let the other officers deal with him. I gave them a full report before heading out on the next call. The rest of my day wasn't too bad; it was at night that things began to get crazy.

I parked my car a distance away from the alley and walked on foot because I knew my car would give me away. I was dressed in plain clothes with my badge in my purse as well as my gun and a can of pepper spray just in case. I wore s skimpy black top that showed quite a bit of my belly and jeans. I just hoped they wouldn't see through my disguise. My heart was pounding in anticipation of what I was about to do.

I soon found Rosolli and a group of Purple Dragons where my informant said they'd be. I came over to them and gave them the three-fingered salute that was their greeting.

"Hey, I haven't seen you before," Rosolli said.

"New recruit," I replied. "I heard about your gang, and I want to join."

"Where'd you hear about us?" Rosolli's eyebrows narrowed in suspicion.

Shit, I thought. How could I know about them? "Some of your boys were talking, and I overheard them," I answered.

"Really?" Is that true, boys?" Rosolli looked at the other members of the group.

"No, I didn't see no chick like her," one of the members responded.

Shit, shit, shit, I thought. This wasn't good. I should've made a better cover story. The members of the Purple Dragons started crowding around me, and I knew I was really in trouble.

"You know what I think, chica?" Rosolli asked. "I think you're lyin'. You don't want to be part of this group. I think you're a spy for another gang, and you're here to learn our secrets."

"Yep, you hit the nail on the head," I told him.

"Well, now you gotta be dealt with," he said. He motioned for the others to attack, but I was ready. I caught one with a roundhouse kick and another with a punch to the face. I whipped out my pepper spray and got another member full in the face with it. I figured that would stop the others in their tracks, but one Dragon kicked the spray out of my hand and sent it flying away from me. In response, I kneed him in the groin, sending him to the ground and crying like the baby he was. With him out of the way, I set my sights on Rosolli.

I spotted him standing against a wall watching the battle. I went for him, determined to grab him and toss him in jail for good. I was so focused on him I didn't sense one of the Dragons sneaking up behind me until I felt something hit me square in the back of the head. I fell to the ground and fought to stay conscious, but I couldn't do it. I distinctly heard Rosolli yell, "It's the freaks!" before the world went black.

22222

I woke up to a harsh light in my eyes. I squinted and tried to get up, but a wave of dizziness overcame me. Okay, that wasn't a good idea. My head was killing me, and I wondered what had happened to me.

"Good, you're awake," a voice said. I turned and gasped as I saw what looked like some sort of mutant frog approach me. Judging by the voice it was a male. He had some sort of purple mask around his eyes which made me tense up. Was he in league with the Purple Dragons? Was I in one of their headquarters about to be tortured?

"How are you feeling?" he asked me.

"Why the hell do you care?" I snarled. "You kidnapped me against my will and probably have plans to keep me here for ransom! Where's Rosolli? He has to be behind this! I swear, once I get out of here, all of your asses are going to jail!"

"Kidnapped you?" he repeated. "No, we rescued you."

"Rescued me?" I repeated. "You mean, you aren't in league with the Purple Dragons?"

"No, we're not," he replied.

"Well, that's good," I replied. "So, why the hell are you dressed like a frog?"

"This isn't a costume," he told me. "I'm a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle."

"Sounds like something out of a comic book," I remarked.

"My name's Donatello, but you can call me Don or Donnie if you want."

"Nice to meet you, Donnie," I replied. "My name's Aubree Hennigan."

"I know," Don told me. "I saw your ID. So, back to my original question: How are you feeling? Are you dizzy? Nauseous?"

"Yeah, I was dizzy when I sat up," I responded. "My head hurts like a bitch, too."

"Sounds like you might have a slight concussion," Don explained.

"Great," I muttered. "How long was I out?"

"Two hours," Don answered.

I gasped. "Oh, shit, I need to get home!" I cried. "My mother's probably having kittens right about now!" I started to get up, but Don hurried to my side to push me back down.

"Hold on, Aubree, you can't go yet," he said. "Let me give you some Tylenol for the pain and some ice for your head." As he went to the cabinet I finally noticed his shell and was puzzled to see a stick on the back of it.

"What's with the stick?" I asked him.

"It's a bo staff," he said defensively. "A weapon used in ninjitsu."

"Cool," I remarked. "I use a night stick, a gun, and pepper spray. But now I have to get a new can of it since my other one is in that alley."

"We got it for you," Don said. He pointed to a table where my purse sat along with the can of pepper spray. "Here." He handed me two Tylenol and a bottle of water. I downed the pills and drank some of the water. Then Don changed the bandage on my head and put some ice there for me to hold.

"Maybe we should keep you here overnight," he suggested.

"No, I don't need a baby-sitter," I said. "Wait, it's still night out there?"

"Yeah, according to my clock, it's ten-thirty."

Just as I was about to order that they let me go home, a second turtle burst into the room. He stopped short when he saw me, and his eyes lit up with excitement. He had an orange mask around his eyes and two sticks with chains attached to them in his belt.

"Hey, why didn't you tell me she was awake?" he whined. He had a surfer accent, which I found to be odd. "Hey, I'm Michelangelo, but the ladies call me Mikey."

"In your dreams maybe," a gruff voice with a Brooklyn accent said. This turtle was a darker green than the other two and had a red mask around his eyes. He also had what looked like two pitchforks stuck in his belt. He looked at me with distrust in his eyes. "I'm Raphael, but everyone calls me Raph," he said.

"Or Raphie," Mikey added.

"You call me that, and I'll knock your teeth down your throat," he threatened, but I wasn't sure if it was aimed at me or Mikey. I decided to humor him.

"You try that, and I'll kick you in the balls," I retorted.

Raph growled and looked like he was going to come at me until a hand on his shoulder stopped him, and another turtle entered the room. He had a blue mask around his eyes and two blue handles sticking out of his back.

"Stop it, Raph," he chastised. "That's no way to treat a guest." He looked at me and said, "My name is Leonardo, but you can call me Leo. I'm glad to see you're awake, Aubree."

I didn't have to ask how he knew my name since I was sure Don had told them. I was about to respond when I heard something hitting the ground repeatedly. The noise got louder and then stopped. The other three Turtles parted to reveal a giant rat in a kimono with a walking stick in his hand.

"Holy shit!" I yelled as I tried to get away from him. I'd always had a fear of rats ever since my brother, David, put a fake rat in my bed once.

"Please, do not be frightened," the rat said in a Japanese accent. "I will not harm you, Miss Hennigan. My name is Splinter."

"Oh, nice to meet you," I said nervously. "I'm sorry, but I've always been afraid of rats since my brother pulled a prank on me involving a fake one."

Mikey laughed. "I did that to Raph, only with bugs instead of a rat," he said.

"Shut it, Mikey," Raph growled.

"Enough, my sons!" Splinter admonished.

"Sons?" I repeated.

"Master Splinter is our father and teacher," Leo replied, and he told me the story of how they turned from ordinary pet shop turtles into what they were now, and how Splinter, then an ordinary rat, had found them and raised them as his own. It all seemed really weird, but I was amazed at how they'd made a home in the sewers.

"Look, it's been nice talking to you, but I really need to go home now," I said. Don helped me up and supported me so I wouldn't fall. I slapped his hand away. "I can do it myself, Don!" I snapped. I took a few steps and didn't fall.

"Are you sure you don't want to spend the night?" Don asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," I insisted. I retrieved my belongings and was ready to leave when Leo stopped me.

"Hold on, Aubree," he said. "I can't let you go out there by yourself. The sewers are a maze, and you would get lost. I'll take you home."

I sighed in exasperation and relented. I could tell Leo wasn't going to listen to me argue with him by the look on his face. It was one my brother often had on his face when we started to argue. "Okay, let's go," I said.

"Before we go, I need to blindfold you," Leo told me. "We're kind of protective and secretive about the location of our Lair." He left and came back with one of his blue masks. He tied it around me with the eyeholes turned away so all I could see was darkness. I guess I could understand their reason for this, but it still sucked.

"Now, take hold of my hand and don't let go," he instructed. He guided my hand into his and I was surprised at how his skin felt. It was soft but sort of rough at the same time. As he led me out of the Lair, I could hear water dripping from the pipes and the scurrying of rats, which made me cringe a bit. Perhaps sensing my tension, he squeezed my hand reassuringly, and it made me feel better.

"So, I noticed Don has a bo staff," I said. "What weapons do you and your other brothers carry and use for ninjitsu?"

"Mikey uses the nunchaku, or nunchucks as most people call them. Raph uses the twin sais, and I use twin katanas, or swords. I take it you've never really heard about ninjitsu, have you?"

"I've seen ninjas in movies, but that's it," I replied. "Is it like a job to you?"

"It's more than that, Aubree," he explained. "It's a way of life, a discipline. We do what we do for the good of the city, but it's not all fun and games like the movies. It's a lifestyle that can turn deadly at any moment."

"Kind of like being a cop," I remarked.

He nodded. "Yeah," he said. "So, I've told you about our history. How about you tell me about yours?"

So I told him about growing up with three brothers and how Greg was a film director, David was in the military serving in Iraq, and Ben and I were police officers. I talked about how my father raised us and about his death on September eleventh. Although I couldn't see his face, I imagined that Leo was shocked and intrigued by my story.

"That had to be hard for you," he said softly.

"It was," I replied. "I wanted to become a police officer in his memory. Before that day, I had no idea what to do with my life. But now, I love my job, and I know my dad would be proud of me."

"Would you still be a cop if he had lived?" Leo asked me.

"I don't know," I answered. "Maybe not, but I don't know what else I'd do. This just feels right."

"I can understand that," he said. "You're doing it for your father because you want to honor his memory. I do what I do because Splinter raised me to be a ninja. I do it to protect my family from harm."

"Same here," I replied.

"Are you in a relationship?" Leo asked me.

I smiled at him. "Are you volunteering?" I teased.

"No, I was just curious," he told me.

"Well, I'm not in any type of relationship," I replied. "I just haven't found anybody yet who's good enough for me to date. Most guys only want one thing, and I can't handle that."

"Do you ever think you'll get married?"

"I don't know," I answered. "I think marriage is a whole different level than dating. I don't want kids, and I know that some guys want a family. I'd have to make sure the guy I marry has the same intentions I do."

"That seems logical," Leo agreed. "Why don't you want kids?"

"Because I hate them," I told him. "I've had some bad experiences over the years that just makes me not want to be around them."

"Raph's like that, too," Leo said. "He gets awkward around Shadow, our friends' daughter, but you can tell he loves her deep down." Then he talked more about their two friends, April and Casey, and how they've all become a family. They seemed like nice people, and they were kind enough to take in Shadow when she was left on their doorstep. Not many people would do that.

"Well, here we are," Leo said. "I'll go up first and make sure it's safe for you to come up."

"Um, Leo, you need to remove my blindfold," I reminded him.

"Oh, right," he said. He untied his mask and removed it from my eyes. I blinked a little at the sudden light, but my vision soon adjusted to it.

"Thanks for everything, Leo," I said. "You didn't have to rescue me like that. You could've just called 911 and let an ambulance pick me up."

"Well, Don suggested we do just that, but I was afraid the Purple Dragons would go looking for you," he replied. "That's why I suggested we take you to the Lair where you would be safe."

"Oh, I see," I said. "Well, thanks for that. And thank your brothers and father, too."

"I will," Leo promised. Then he went up to the surface to make sure it was safe for me to come up. He turned to me and said, "All clear. You can come up, Aubree."

I ascended the ladder and climbed out of the sewers, thankful to get back to the surface. I figured Leo would go back down into the sewers, but he insisted on escorting me home. I told him I needed to get my car, and he climbed a fire escape and followed me via the rooftops as I walked to where my car was. I soon discovered that my car was gone. Great, the Dragons probably stole it and were salvaging it for scrap metal. Muttering a few choice swear words, I decided to go to my apartment and call the precinct to report my stolen car. I got to the apartment and saw my car parked in its usual spot. I breathed a sigh of relief and went up to my apartment after looking up at Leo, who was perched on a roof across the way, and waving to him. He waved back, and I went into the building to my apartment. I saw my answering machine light blinking and knew that there were messages for me. I looked out the window until I remembered that my apartment didn't face the building Leo was on.

I checked my messages, which were from my mom, Ben, and Chief Thompson.

"Aubree, for God's sake call me!" my mother's message said. "I've been worried sick. Do I have to come over there? Call me."

"Aubree, what the hell happened to you?" Ben's message said. "Call me right away."

"Hennigan, we need to talk," Chief Thompson's message said. "Be in my office at eight sharp. Don't be late."

I called my mom and assured her I was okay. I told her what happened without mentioning the Turtles and told her that some Good Samaritans had rescued me and patched me up. She wanted to come over, but I told her I'd be fine. She made me promise to call her after work tomorrow, and I said I would.

"Christ, Aubree, what the hell were you thinking?" Ben chastised when I called him. "You could have been killed, you know. Next time, let someone know what you're doing. Chief's pretty pissed."

"I know," I told him. "He wants to see me tomorrow."

"Uh-oh, that's not good," said Ben. "You better hope he doesn't fire you."

"I doubt he will," I said. "He likes me. Look, I've got to go. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, love you," said Ben.

"Love you, too," I replied and hung up. Then I took a shower and got into my pajamas. I looked in the mirror and cringed a bit. I still had some bruising on my face, and my curly red hair was a mess. Dad used to call me Annie because I looked like the orphan girl. I took off my make-up and saw that there were bags under my blue-green eyes. I crawled into bed and thought about Leo. I smiled at how he wanted to protect me even though he didn't really know me. It doesn't matter, I thought to myself. I probably won't ever see them again anyway.

But I was dead wrong.

A/N: Whew! I can't believe that was seventeen pages long! I hope that didn't tire you guys out. Hopefully, my chapters won't be as long as that, but you never know. I hope to get the second chapter done soon, maybe even tonight if possible, but I don't know when it'll be up. Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you thought of this. Have a shelltastic day!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Interrogation

A/N: Here's the next chapter. I want to thank all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. It really means a lot to me. This chapter will be in the third person perspective because I wanted it to be different, and I figured that it would be easier than just having it in Aubree's perspective all the time. It will be like that throughout the story where the odd numbered chapters are Aubree's perspective and the even numbered are in third person. It just gives a better flow. Enjoy.

Leonardo waited until Aubree was in her apartment building before he set off for home. As he leapt from rooftop to rooftop, he thought about the conversation he'd had with her. He could understand why she chose the profession she did, but he couldn't understand why she went after that group of Purple Dragons by herself. She was definitely reckless, and he was going to talk to Splinter to see whether they needed to keep an eye on her. She obviously didn't know how dangerous the Purple Dragons could be.

He also wondered why he'd asked about her being in a relationship. It really wasn't any of his business whether she was or not. Was it his natural curiosity that drove him to ask it, or was it something else? No, he didn't like her in that way at all. How could he feel that when he'd just met her? Sure, she was pretty, no doubt about that, but he knew such a thing was impossible. He decided to forget about it though he knew he'd have to apologize to her for his rudeness on the subject.

And what was all that about not wanting kids? Leo hadn't been around a lot of humans, but he'd seen them on television and how happy they were with a family. What if April and Casey had decided not to take in Shadow when they found her? It was just something Leo couldn't fathom about Aubree. He really wanted to talk to her about this, but he knew that it would be rude for him to pursue it and that he might not see her again unless Splinter said so.

When Leo arrived at the Lair, his brothers were waiting for him to tell them about his trip with Aubree. He was sure there would be a lot of teasing at his expense, but he would do all he could to dispel any rumors.

"So, bro, how was it?" Mikey asked him. "Are you dating now?"

"What?" Leo responded. "Where the shell did you get that idea? We've just met each other. People don't go out on dates that fast."

"Okay, but did you at least score?" Raph asked. "I mean, she IS kind of hot."

Leo couldn't believe where this conversation was going. "No, I didn't," he replied. "I didn't even go into her apartment building."

"Then I'm guessing you didn't give her a kiss goodnight?" Don asked.

Leo smirked. "No, but I heard that you and April had an interesting one-on-one session the other day," he teased back.

Don's jaw dropped. "I'll have you know we were ONLY discussing a computer program," he defended himself.

Before Leo could respond, Splinter came out of his chambers. "Leonardo, I would like to speak with you," he said.

Mikey nudged Raph. "Oooh, busted," he said in a very audible whisper. Leo and Splinter both gave Mikey a stern look, and he immediately got quiet.

Leo followed Splinter into his chambers, wondering what his father wanted to speak to him about. He hoped that his brothers hadn't been teasing him about Aubree behind his back and within earshot of their father. If that was the case, then Leo was ready to reassure his father that there was nothing going on between Aubree and himself. He waited until Splinter seated himself behind his low table before taking a seat himself.

"Did Miss Hennigan arrive home safely?" Splinter asked him.

"Yes, Sensei," Leo replied. "I made sure she arrived there in a safe manner."

"Good," Splinter responded. "I was a bit concerned for her safety, and I still am. I feel that she can be a bit rash and act before she thinks."

"Kind of like a certain Turtle we both know?" Leo teased.

Splinter chuckled. "Yes, just like Raphael," he said. "That is why I was thinking that perhaps we should keep an eye on her and make sure she does not come to harm."

"I was thinking about that, too," said Leo. "Maybe we could look in on her once in a while when we go on patrol."

"That sounds like a good idea, my son," replied Splinter. "But I was thinking that, if you wished to, you could look in on her yourself."

"You mean, I could look in on her by myself without my brothers being there?" Leo couldn't believe what his father was suggesting.

Splinter smiled. "Yes, that is exactly what I mean," he said. "I feel that you will help her to see reason if she tries to do anything rash." Seeing the doubt on Leonardo's face, he added, "I am not saying that it will be easy for you to do so, but I have faith that you will be able to help her."

"Yeah, I guess so," Leo mused. Then he told Splinter about Aubree's history. "She's been through a lot, and I think she needs friends to support her."

Splinter nodded. "I agree," he answered. "That is why I believe you will be a good friend to her, Leonardo. You have compassion for others and a good heart. That is what Aubree needs at this moment."

"Wouldn't you be concerned if I was around Aubree so much though?" Leo asked him.

Splinter looked puzzled. "What do you mean, my son?"

"I mean, aren't you concerned that I might develop feelings for Aubree?" After all, Splinter was a father, and from what Leo knew of fathers on television, they often got concerned about their children developing relationships. Yes, mostly it was the fathers concerned about the daughters, but he'd seen fathers concerned about their sons, too.

Splinter smiled gently at his oldest son. "Hamato Leonardo, I will always be concerned about you and your brothers," he began. "That is the nature of a parent. But you are an adult now, and you must make your own decisions about your life. If you have feelings for this woman, then you must use your judgment on whether to pursue her. DO you have feelings for Miss Hennigan?"

Leo shook his head. "No, Sensei, I don't," he said. "I was just thinking about what you might think if I did eventually have feelings for her. I just don't want to make a mistake I might regret and disappoint you."

"I see," mused Splinter. "That is a very smart answer, my son, and I thank you for considering my feelings on the matter. However, you must learn that you cannot always depend on my feelings in everything you do. There comes a time in one's life where a parent must let their children grow up. While it is hard for me to see you grow up so fast, I realize that it is the natural order of things, and that you do not need my permission for everything you do. You must decide for yourself what path you must choose. This goes for your brothers as well. I have faith that I have raised you well enough that you can make your own decisions without my opinion or approval. The important thing is that you be happy in whatever you decide for yourself. When you are not happy, then it is time for you to reevaluate your decisions and choose a different path. You must remember that I will not be here to supervise you forever, and you must do so on your own. Just know that whatever you decide to do is up to you, and that while I may not like all the decisions you boys make, you will always be my sons, and I will love you no matter what."

"Thank you, Master," said Leo.

"You are welcome, my son," replied Splinter. "You may go now."

Leo bowed and exited his father's room. Raph and Mikey were in the living room waiting to see what his conversation was all about. He smiled at the thought of what he was going to tell them.

"So, what was that all about?" asked Raph.

"He just wanted to make sure that Aubree got home safely," replied Leo.

"Wait, you mean he didn't ask you about falling in love with Aubree?' asked Mikey.

Leo shook his head. "Nope," he answered.

"Okay, so what else did he want to talk about?" Raph gave his brother a puzzled look.

"He just said we need to keep an eye on Aubree because of her reckless behavior," answered Leo.

"That's it?" asked Mikey.

"Yep, that's it," said Leo. "I'm going to bed. 'Night." He gave them one last smile before heading up to bed. Raph and Mike ylooked at each other in disbelief as though they'd been denied some entertainment.

"So, did he get busted?" asked Don as he came out of his lab.

"Nope, he didn't," said Mikey.

"Then I think you owe me twenty bucks," chuckled Don, holding out his hand. "You, too, Raph."

Grumbling, the two Turtles reached into their belts and gave their purple-clad brother the cash. With a cheerful, "Pleasure doing business with you," Don headed upstairs to bed.

Mikey and Raph exchanged a look and vowed never to bet against Don in the future. Then the two Turtles wished each other a good night and went up to bed themselves.

Back in his chambers, Splinter heard his sons go to bed and decided it was time for him to retire as well. But before he did so, he reflected on the conversation he'd had with Leonardo. He had a feeling that they were going to be involved in Miss Hennigan's life more and more. He truly hoped that said involvement would not result in any harm coming to his family or Miss Hennigan. He was quite fond of the young woman and wanted to get to know her more. In any event, he really hoped they'd be able to protect her from harm. With that last thought, Splinter closed his eyes and fell asleep.

22222

Chief Thompson sat at his desk, poring over the case files that were piled up there. He was still reeling from the events of last night and how Aubree was lucky she didn't get kidnapped or killed. What had possessed her to go out on her own anyway? He was angry that she'd taken matters into her own hands without consulting the rest of the force. Something needed to be done about her. He snapped out of his thoughts as someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," he barked. The door opened, and Aubree stepped through it. She still bore signs of the attack, which made Chief Thompson even angrier at her recklessness.

"You wanted to see me, Chief?" Aubree asked. She was standing behind her chair, looking tense and unsure of what this meeting was about.

"Yes, Hennigan, sit down," he said, gesturing to the chair. She did so and looked him in the eye. He could tell she wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.

"What were you thinking chasing Rosolli on your own like that?" he demanded. "You're lucky you weren't kidnapped or killed."

"It needed to be done," she replied. "I was sick of seeing him walk around, so I decided to take matters into my own hands."

"And in doing so, you nearly got yourself killed!" Chief Thompson yelled. "Why the hell couldn't you just wait and tell us what was going on?"

"Because I wanted to do this myself," she responded. "I felt like we weren't making any progress on catching him. I had an informant keeping tabs on his whereabouts. They sent me a tip, and I went for it."

"Was this informant in our police force?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "No, it was someone else," she answered.

"I see," he responded. "I have a feeling that this just wasn't about us not making any progress on catching him, am I right?"

Aubree looked like she wasn't going to answer, but then she said, "No, it wasn't. It was also personal. When my father died in the September eleventh attacks, a reporter interviewed random people to see how they felt. Rosolli stated that he thought all the police officers who died in the attacks deserved it. Ever since that day, I've wanted to make him pay for that remark as well as everything else he's done. When the opportunity came, I took it."

"So, you went after Rosolli because of a comment he made six years ago?" Thompson questioned. "And you see nothing wrong with that?"

"Nope," she answered. "I was doing it for the good of the people."

He sighed in exasperation. "Well, because of your reckless behavior, I don't feel that I can trust you," he began. "I should suspend you, but we've got too many cases to solve, and we can't afford to lose anyone. So, I'm assigning someone to look after you to make sure you don't do anything like this again. In fact, I'm going to assign your brother to watch over you."

She looked a little surprised. "Isn't that prohibited, sir?" she asked.

"Normally, it would be, but I think he's the best choice," Chief Thompson replied. "He knows you the best, and I feel that he could talk some sense into you if you get in a reckless mood. You're dismissed."

He watched her walk out and wondered if he was doing the right thing. He knew Aubree was too reckless and that sooner or later she was going to get into a scrape she couldn't get out of. It was best to have a family member who knew her and could persuade her not to do anything stupid. With that last thought in mind, he focused on the case files on his desk, feeling like it was going to be a long day.

22222

Mario Rosolli couldn't believe what was happening right now. He was sitting in the interrogation room of the Purple Dragons Headquarters where Hun was pacing back and forth. Rosolli was angry about what had happened last night, and he knew he was partially to blame for that. What he couldn't get out of his head was the woman who'd said she wanted to join the gang. He was sure he'd seen her before, but he couldn't think of where.

"What the hell happened last night?" Hun growled.

"There was this chick who said she wanted to join the Dragons," Rosolli replied. "Said she heard about us from some other members. I knew she was lyin' to me, so I had the boys attack her. It looked like we was gonna get her good 'til those freaks came and stopped us."

Hun growled and bared his teeth like an angry bulldog. "Figures," he grumbled. "They always ruin everything."

"Yeah, and they took the chick," Rosolli added. "I thought maybe she was from some rival gang or somethin'."

"Are you dumb?" snapped Hun. "She wasn't from some rival gang because she didn't have tattoos on her." He threw a file to Rosolli. "She's a cop, you idiot. She was probably there to bust our operation down."

Rosolli looked at the file, and his face froze in recognition. "Hey, I know this chick," he said. Her dad died in those terrorist attacks. There was this big tribute to him and everything. I seen her on TV."

"Wonderful," said Hun sarcastically. "Her name's Aubree Hennigan, and she's trouble. If she keeps nosing around in our business, it won't be good for the Purple Dragons. From what others have told me, she's reckless and will stop at nothing to take us down. And if she's in league with those freaks, that's even worse."

"You think it was a trap, Master Hun?" asked Rosolli.

"I don't think the freaks were with her primarily," replied Hun. "But I do think she was there to bust us, and that means someone ratted us out." He bared his teeth again at the thought of it. "If there's one thing I hate more than those freaks it's a dirty, stinking rat. Mark my words, I'll find out who it is, and they will pay dearly for their crime."

"So, you think it was someone in the gang?" Rosolli's voice was lined with nervousness as though he thought Hun suspected him of being the rat.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," answered Hun. "If I have to beat every Dragon member senseless until they spill their guts, I'll do it. Now, get out of my sight before I start on you first."

Rosolli hurried out of the room before Hun carried out his threat. One thing was for sure, no one in the Dragons was safe from Hun's wrath. But having an informant was definitely a bad thing for the gang because it meant that no one could be trusted. Rosolli knew that he wasn't in Hun's good graces right now, but if he found the rat himself, then Hun would reward him. Maybe if he did that people would start respecting Mario Rosolli more. Then maybe one day, he'd become the leader of the Purple Dragons and lead them to new heights of glory. With that last thought in his head, he left to go talk to members and listen in on conversations to see if he could spot the rat.

A/N: So, a lot happened in this chapter. So, does this work for my story? I know Aubree was in this chapter, but I had it in third person since it was from the chief's perspective. I think doing it this way is a lot better because then you get more perspectives than just Aubree's as I stated earlier. Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think. Have a shelltastic day.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Brother's and Ninja's Keeper

A/N: Hey, it's me again. Sorry it took so long to crank out this chapter, but I wanted to take my time and make sure it was done just right. So, expect that with future chapters, too, though I'm already working on chapter four. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed this story thus far. It means a lot to me that you like it and are willing to stick with it. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

I was pissed off as I left Chief's office. How dare he spring a baby-sitter on me? I thought he would be happy I was taking care of business and trying to get a criminal off the streets. Yeah, it was stupid of me to go off alone, but it all worked out in the end, didn't it?

Ben was leaning against his car when I came out. "So, how'd it go?" he asked.

"Well, I'm being assigned a stupid baby-sitter," I grumbled.

"Really? Who?" Ben asked.

"You," I answered. "He thinks you'll be able to keep an eye on me since you know me best."

"Well, I guess we'll have to roll with the punches," Ben told me.

"I don't need a baby-sitter," I grumbled. "I'm twenty-two years old."

"Hey, look on the bright side," Ben said. "We'll get to spend more time together."

I gave him the finger in response.

He laughed. "Real mature, Aub," he said. "Just get in the car and don't cause a scene."

I sighed and did as he said. I couldn't believe my brother was calling the shots. I could tell this wasn't going to be a good thing no matter what Ben said. It was going to be hell.

"So, tell me more about those guys who rescued you," prompted Ben.

Oh, great, now he wanted to know more about that. To be perfectly honest, I'd thought about the Turtles ever since I came home. It just seemed weird to me that mutants were in the sewers and no one knew about it. Were there more of them, or were they the only ones? What would happen if others knew about them? Would they be accepted into society, or would they be shunned from it? Would scientists want to study them, or would they leave them alone? Would it be okay if Ben knew? I felt that I could trust him with the secret because he was always loyal to me. However, I reminded myself that I didn't know them that well, and I would have to get to know them more before I told anyone else about them. I also had a feeling that if I said anything without the Turtles' or Splinter's knowledge it could cause some problems.

"Aub, are you still with me?" teased Ben.

"Yeah, I am," I replied. "I was just lost in my thoughts."

"So, what were these guys like?" he asked.

"Well, at first I thought it was a ploy and that I was kidnapped by the Purple Dragons," I replied. "But later they reassured me that they weren't in league with the Purple Dragons, and I felt better. They treated my wounds and even offered to let me spend the night, but I told them I wanted to go home."

"Did you go home by yourself?"

"No, Leo took me home," I responded.

"Leo?" repeated Ben. "Is he some kind of truck driver or something?"

"I don't know," I said. "I didn't get a chance to ask them about their jobs." Heck, I didn't even know their ages. "They're named after the Renaissance artists," I said. "Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo."

"Oh, I see," Ben said. "So they all live together?"

"Yeah, they live with their dad," I said. "His name's Yoshi."

"What does he do for a living?"

"He teaches martial arts to kids," I told him. I felt guilty lying to him, but I knew it was for the best right now.

"Cool," Ben replied. "Does Leo seem nice?"

"Yeah, he was the one who offered to take me home," I said. "I wanted to go myself, but he wouldn't let me."

"Well, that was noble of him," commented Ben. "He's only just met you and he offers to take you home. Weren't you a bit suspicious?"

"No, I wasn't," I told him. "They saved my life, Ben. If they'd had different intentions, I would have known about it. Leo was just being nice."

"Okay," Ben said. "Are you going to see him again?"

"Probably not," I responded. "But if I do I'll be sure to repay him and his family for what they did for me."

"Sounds like a good plan," Ben remarked. Then he noticed two cars that were speeding down the highway. "Well, looks like we've got a couple of racers here. What do you say we show them who's boss?"

I smiled. "Let's do it, bro," I said.

22222

The rest of the day went well. Ben and I made a great team, and I could see why they decided to have him be with me as a partner. We had a great rapport and were in tune with one another, which was a good thing. We were able to take crooks down twice as fast, and that saved us a lot of time. I was really happy that Ben was with me. It was nice to spend time together.

"So, want to come over and watch wrestling?" Ben asked.

"Wrestling's not on tonight," I pointed out. "Besides, I taped it."

"Then can I come over and watch it with you?"

"Sure," I said. I figured it wouldn't hurt to spend more time with him since we were having fun. After we went back to the station, he dropped me off at my car and went home to change. Then he came over to my apartment, and we went out to eat because we were both pretty hungry.

"I have to say, Aub, we make a pretty good team," Ben said.

"Yeah, we do," I said. "We really do. So, are you seeing anyone?"

Ben laughed. "Yeah, I'm dating a girl named Alison," he said. "She's pretty nice."

"So, why aren't you with her tonight?"

"Because I wanted to spend time with my little sister," Ben answered. "Besides, she's visiting relatives in Illinois right now."

"Oh, I see," I said. "Any plans to marry her?"

Ben looked shocked that I would suggest such a thing. "Hell no!" he replied. "It's too soon for us to think about that. Yeah, I'd love to marry her someday, but we haven't been dating that long."

I laughed. "Bro, you do know I'm teasing you, right?"

He laughed along. "Yeah, I kind of figured that," he said. "You always were a prankster."

"No, that was David," I corrected him.

"Oh, yeah, I guess so. I wonder if he's thinking of us out there in Iraq."

"I'm sure he is," I told him. I tried to picture David sitting in a tent and thinking about us. He probably didn't have time to think of anything except not getting killed. There were days I wished that David wasn't in the military, but I knew he was doing what he felt was the right thing to do. I couldn't really fault him for that.

"Hey, Aub, you still alive over there?" Ben teased.

I snapped out of my thoughts. "Yeah, I'm here," I said.

"Good," Ben said. "I'm ready to get out of here and get to your place."

I nodded. I was ready to leave, too. We went back to my apartment and talked about some of the crooks we'd taken down. I wanted to watch wrestling right away, but Ben wanted to wait until it was dark to watch wrestling together almost as if we were watching it at the time it was usually on. I agreed, and we talked about wrestling matches in the past and present and how it was all different now compared to then. Both of us agreed that wrestling was better back then and that now it kind of sucked.

In the middle of the show, Ben got up to use the restroom, and I gave myself a chance to stretch my legs. The moment I got up, a figure appeared in my window, causing me to yell with fright. The figure held up its hands in a gesture of peace and revealed its true form.

"Aub, is everything okay?" Ben called from the bathroom.

I held my breath and hoped that he wouldn't come out yet. "Yeah, I just saw a spider and got scared," I replied. "I killed it though."

"Oh, okay," he said.

I turned to Leo. "What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded in a whisper.

"Master Splinter wanted me to check up on you," he replied in a whisper.

I crossed my arms defiantly. "I don't need a baby-sitter, Leo," I said firmly. "You'd better get out of here before Ben sees you."

"He won't see me, Aubree," he assured me. "I'm a ninja and can hide easily."

I turned toward the bathroom as the toilet flushed then turned back to the window to tell Leo to leave, but he had already disappeared. Wow, he can move fast, I thought.

"Everything okay, Aub?" Ben asked as he came into the room.

"Everything's fine, Ben," I replied. "It was just a spider."

"Okay, cool," Ben said, and we sat down to watch the rest of the show. When it was over, he said he'd see me the next day and left. As soon as he was gone, I went to look out the window, and Leo was sitting right there.

"Jesus, Leo, don't scare me like that!" I scolded. Then realization hit me. "Were you out there the whole time?" I demanded.

"Yeah, I was, but I wasn't really listening that much," he said.

Rage filled me at his disregard for my privacy. "Go home!" I commanded, pointing my finger outside. "Tell Splinter that everything's fine and that you checked up on me."

"No one bothered you today?" asked Leo.

I sighed. "No, my day was fine," I replied. "Ben's been assigned as my partner so I don't make another mistake like I made before."

"I think that's a good idea," commented Leo.

I glared at him. "You would!" I snapped. "Look, nothing's going to happen to me. Even if something does go down, I'm a cop. I can handle it myself."

Leo shrugged. "If you say so," he said skeptically. "I'm still going to check on you every night like Master Splinter wants me to. I was hoping you'd be grateful that I have your best interests at heart."

"Leo, I'm flattered that you want to protect me, but I don't need it," I insisted. "I can take care of myself." There was no way I was going I was giving in to any of this. "You can make a short stop to check on me as Splinter wants you to do, but that's it. I don't need you to be my baby-sitter."

"Well, would it be okay if I came as a friend and just spent time with another friend?" He gave me a genuine smile, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I guess that could be arranged," I replied. "Do you want to hang out now?"

"I'd love to, but I promised my brothers I'd meet them for patrol," he answered. "Maybe tomorrow?"

"Sounds good," I said. "Thanks for dropping by, Leo."

"Don't mention it," he replied. He waved to me and disappeared like the ninja he was.

After he was gone, I shut the window, cleaned up the living room, and got ready for bed. I could see where Leo was coming from, and though I didn't like it, I was glad that someone actually cared about me. Hearing about Splinter's concern for my safety made me remember my own father and how he always wanted to protect me. I knew I couldn't brush off the offer Leo had for me. After all, there was no telling what Rosolli was capable of, and I needed to be protected.

As it turned out, I had the protection because things took a turn I didn't want them to take, and I would need all the protection I could get.

A/N: So, that's the end of chapter three. What did you think? I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I'll try and get it up soon. I just want to take my time with this story and make sure that it's done correctly and not rushed. If it's rushed, it won't be as good, and then it'll be a disaster. So, just bear with me on this. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Informant

A/N: Hey, sorry for the delay on this chapter. I had a bit of writer's block concerning this story, but now I have a clear idea of where I want it to go, so hopefully you'll see more updates from me. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed so far. It really means a lot to me that you like this story and that you really like Aubree as well. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

Angel really hated going to school, but she knew that her grandma at least wanted her to graduate high school. Angel really didn't care about graduating, but she knew that her grandma had her heart set on it, so she went through the motions as anyone would. She knew her grandma wasn't getting any younger and often worried about what would happen to her if Grandma died. Would she live with her brother, or would she be sent to a foster home? No, she wouldn't let that happen. She'd rather live with her brother or the Turtles than go to some stranger's home.

But Angel tried her best not to think of these things. She just got by one day at a time, and that was all she could ask for. Today she had better things to think about. She was on her way to meet Steve Turner, a boy in her class who was helping her with a mission for her cop friend, Aubree. Steve's brother, Randy, was in the Purple Dragons and was one of those guys who loved to brag. So, when Aubree had asked Angel if she could find out any information on where Mario Rosolli and his crew would be, Angel had suggested going to Steve. Randy often bragged to Steve about Dragon business, even though he wasn't supposed to. Steve had agreed to talk to Aubree and had relayed all the information he knew. Now Angel had to know if Aubree had captured Rosolli.

She spotted Steve by his locker and went over to him. "Hey, how's it going?" she asked casually.

"Pretty good," he answered. "You?"

"Good," she replied. "Can we go somewhere more private to talk?"

"Sure," Steve said.

"Great!" Angel exclaimed. She took his hand and led him to one of the girls' restrooms.

Steve's eyes widened in shock. "Whoa, I can't go in there," he said. "What are you thinking?"

"Sure you can," Angel told him. "No one comes in here because the toilets don't flush properly, and the janitors haven't even fixed them yet." She pulled him in there despite his protests. "So, give me the dirt. Did Aubree nab Rosolli?"

"No, she didn't," Steve replied. "Randy said they were all gathered together and then a cop came and tried to stop them. She went for Rosolli but couldn't get him. One of the other guys hit her in the head with a pipe. Before they could do anything else, Randy said that these turtle freaks came and started fighting them. Randy ran, so he couldn't tell me what happened after that. Rosolli and some of the others also left. Word is, that Hun and Rosolli think there's a traitor in the group, and Rosolli wants to know who it is."

"Whoa," Angel breathed her eyes widening in shock. "Do you think they suspect Randy?"

"I don't know, but he'd better keep his mouth shut before they find out it was him," Steve answered. "If he gets caught, they'll beat the shit out of him."

"Well, if they do, maybe it'll teach him a lesson," Angel replied. "But, hey, at least Aubree was close." She knew the Turtles had saved Aubree and treated her wounds. It sounded like something they would do.

"Yeah, but you don't know the Purple Dragons that well, do you?" Steve asked her. "They once beat a member to death for ratting them out to the cops. I'd hate to think of what they'd do to Randy. No matter what he's done, he's still my brother."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Angel reassured him. "Look, I gotta head to class. I'll see you at lunch, okay?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah, sure," he said.

Angel headed to class, but her thoughts were elsewhere. If Randy got busted, he was likely to rat out Steve. Angel didn't want anything to happen to her friend at any costs. He didn't deserve any of it. Maybe she could have the Turtles protect him somehow so that the Dragons didn't get to him. It would put her mind at ease if they could do that.

After school was over, Angel went to the Lair for her practice session with Leo and Splinter. Grandma knew she was taking defense lessons from some friends, but she didn't know who these friends were. Angel couldn't help but look over her shoulder a few times to make sure no one was watching her. It unnerved her to think that Steve was a target and that they'd probably use her to get to him.

"Guys, there's something I need to tell you," she said as soon as she arrived at the Lair. The Turtles and Splinter stopped what they were doing and looked at her.

"What is it, Angel?" asked Leo.

"Okay, so you know how Aubree went after Rosolli and his gang the other night, right?" began Angel.

"Yeah, we rescued her," replied Leo. "How do you know about that?"

"My friend, Steve Turner, told me," answered Angel. "His brother, Randy, is a Purple Dragon. He told Steve what happened that night, and Steve just told me. Aubree's a friend of my grandma's. Aubree's dad and Grandma were good friends, so I've known Aubree for a long time. She told me that she wanted to catch Rosolli and asked if I could find out any information for her. I told her about Steve and said that she should go to him because of his brother. So, that's how she found out where Rosolli was that night."

The Turtles and Splinter were silent after Angel finished speaking. Then Leo spoke up.

"So, you're the informant she was talking about?" he asked.

"No, Steve was the informant," replied Angel. "I just tipped her off to him. The thing is, Steve's worried Randy's gonna get busted and that something's gonna happen to him. I'm worried that Steve's gonna get in trouble if Randy rats him out. I just don't want the Purple Dragons to do anything to my best friend. Is there any way you guys can protect him?"

Leo sighed as he thought this through. "I know your intentions were good, Angel, but you should have never gotten Steve involved in this mess," he scolded. "We'll keep an eye out for any activity and let you know if we hear any threats. Other than that, the best thing you can do is tell Steve not to say anything more about this in public. Do you understand?"

Angel nodded. "Yeah, I do," she said.

"Good," said Leo. "Now, let's begin practice."

When practice was over, Angel went home and was accompanied by Raphael. Leo thought it was a good idea if one of them escorted Angel home so she wouldn't get hurt. She was glad Raph was taking her home because he wouldn't lecture her like Leo would.

"So, you've known Aubree all of your life?" he asked her.

"Yeah, her parents were good friends with Grandma," answered Angel. "I used to hang out with her when I would visit Grandma in the summer. Even though there was a bit of an age difference, we got along great together. Do you like her?"

"Yeah, she's okay," said Raph. "I don't know how she became a cop though. From what happened to her that night, I can't see how she does a good job."

"She does a great job, Raph," replied Angel. "She just got into a scrape. Don't tell me you haven't gotten into trouble like that before."

"Yeah, I have gotten in trouble like that before," admitted Raph. "Too many times to count."

"But it doesn't make you less of a ninja," pointed out Angel.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," agreed Raph. "Maybe I shouldn't be too hard on her. She seems like a nice lady."

"No, you shouldn't be that way with her," responded Angel. "Well, here's my stop. Thanks for taking me home, Raph. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"No problem, kid," replied Raph. "Take care of yourself and stay alert. You don't want Leo on your ass. Believe me, I know how that is."

Angle laughed. "Don't worry, I'll stay alert," she said. "See ya." She went into her home and watched Raph walk down the street. She knew her friends would try and protect Steve as much as they could, but she had to do her part, too. Maybe she would go to Aubree and see if maybe she could offer some sort of protection for him. She was determined that Steve wouldn't run afoul of the Purple Dragons.

22222

Randy Turner made his way to the Purple Dragons' headquarters. He took pride in being a Dragon as it was something he'd always wanted ever since he first heard about it. He would tell Steve stories about what the Dragons did, hoping that maybe the lifestyle they lived would appeal to his younger brother. But Steve always refused to even join no matter what Randy said to him. He told Randy not to get messed up in that stuff and that he didn't want to get involved with any illegal activity. Randy still continued to tell stories and hoped that one day Steve would change his mind. It would be a way for them to be closer together as brothers.

When Randy arrived he could feel everyone's eyes on him. What was going on? Everybody was here, but no one was greeting him. Then Hun entered the room and looked around at all of them.

"It seems we have a traitor among us," he began. "I have been informed that Randy Turner has been talking about Purple Dragon business in public. Is there anything you would like to say, Randy?"

"I didn't say anything out in public," Randy protested. "I'd never do that."

"Well, because of your big mouth, that cop tracked us down," Hun replied. "Boys, I say we teach Randy here what happens when you break the rules."

Before Randy could even say a word of protest, the other members were upon him. Blows rained down on him, and he couldn't even defend himself. He felt betrayed by all of them. Why hadn't he listened to Steve when Steve told him to get out of the Dragons? Hun signaled for the members to prop him up, and the Dragons did so.

Hun looked at him with his teeth bared. "Do you have any last words?" he sneered.

Randy looked at him and smirked. "Yeah, I got something to say," he said. "Fuck you, Hun. I never should've joined the Purple Dragons."

"How touching," Hun sneered. "Too bad you won't live to see another day. It's such a shame you won't see your brother one last time, either." He pulled out a switchblade, and before Randy could do anything, Hun slit his throat. Randy gasped and collapsed as the blood sprayed from his throat. His last thought was of Steve and how he'd never be able to tell him how much he loved him.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you to keep the Purple Dragons' business private," Hun said as he pointed to Randy's lifeless body. "If anyone dares to run their mouths, then they'll be dead like Randy here." Then he turned and left the room and headed to his office. He summoned Rosolli and a few other members to him.

"I want you to keep tabs on Turner's family," he ordered. "If you hear anything, let us know so we can deal with them personally. I don't think Randy did this on his own. He had help, and I want to make sure that they're dealt with personally."

"What about that cop who tracked us down?" Rosolli asked.

"I'm leaving that up to you, Rosolli," Hun replied. "Deal with her on your own, and make sure you do it right."

"I won't let you down, Master Hun," Rosolli responded.

"Make sure you don't," Hun growled. "Now, get out of my sight."

Rosolli and the others left Hun's office. Rosolli was shaken by Randy's fate and truly hoped that he wouldn't be next. He was going to make sure that cop paid the price of meddling in his business and trying to take him to jail. He wasn't going back, and he hoped that with his plan he'd be able to scare the cop away. He would follow her and see what she did every day. And when the time came, he'd dispose of her properly and send a message to all of the cops in the city. No one messed with Mario Rosolli.

A/N: So, now things are really beginning to happen in this story. I'm sorry if I killed off Randy, but I wanted to show that the Dragons don't take betrayal too lightly. Feel free to leave a review after you've finished reading. Have a shelltastic day.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Calling Card

A/N: Hey, sorry it's taken me so long to update, but I wanted to get at least three chapters written before attempting it. The way I want to do this is to write three chapters and then post those three chapters so you're not waiting too long for updates. With the way I'm getting ideas for this fic, I really hope it won't take me too long to update as it has with past stories. But we'll just have to see. I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed so far but especially InsertDecentNameHere. I really like your reviews, and I'm glad you really like Aubree so much. That makes me feel really good. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter as well.

Disclaimer: If I owned the TMNT, Splinter wouldn't look like a llama and would look more like a rat. Yep, that's what I've seen based on the new toys. Just do a search for them if you don't believe me. TMNT and all related characters are owned by Nickelodeon. I do own Aubree Hennigan though, so that's something.

As I made my way to the precinct, I felt really pissed off. Mom called me before I left for work and decided to set me up on a date this weekend. I couldn't believe she would do that as I had specifically told her not to set me up. I reminded her of that again this morning.

"But, Aubree, you really should give this man a chance," she pleaded. "He's a lawyer and makes good money. I just think you two would get along well together."

I sighed and counted to ten in my head slowly. "Mom, I really don't want to go out on a date right now," I reminded her. "I hate being set up anyway."

"Just give it a chance," she coaxed. "It can't hurt you."

"Mom, what is this really about?" I asked her.

"Aubree, you're my only daughter, and I want to see you get married and have kids," she answered. "It's been my dream for you ever since you were born."

"I appreciate your thought, but I don't want that," I told her. "It's just not my thing right now. I'm happy the way I am."

"Can you please just give it a chance?" she pleaded.

I sighed again. "Okay, but if it doesn't work out, I'm not trying again," I told her.

"Fair enough," she said. "Have a good day at work."

I hung up, fuming at the nerve of her. I just couldn't believe she would set me up like that. I was so angry I only glanced at some posters affixed to a few telephone poles and thought they were for a missing dog. I just wanted work to end so I could talk to Leo about what my mom did. I knew Leo would be sympathetic to my plight and would offer advice on what I ought to do.

As I entered the precinct, I could feel tension in the air, which was never a good thing. I spotted Ben and went to go talk to him when Chief Thompson called us into the briefing room. He had a very serious look on his face, which indicated that something had happened.

"We have just received a report that a boy named Randy Turner has been reported missing," he began. "I've called you all here today because I'm assigning all of you certain areas to look for this boy. The family was questioned by detectives last night, and they have no idea where this boy went. It'll be your job to search the areas and see if you can spot anything that might help us locate this child."

"Aren't the detectives searching for him, sir?" I asked.

"Yes, but they want us to be on the case as well," Chief replied. "All I ask is that you try your best to find Randy. I'm sure his family will be safe once he's reunited with them. Be safe out there."

As we rose to leave, I turned to Ben. "We need to go to the Turner residence," I said.

"Aub, the detectives already questioned them," he pointed out. "Why should we go there? Do you know something about this?"

I nodded. "Steve was the one who tipped me off about Rosolli and his gang," I replied. "Randy was a member of the Purple Dragons and told Steve where they were going to be."

Ben's eyes widened in shock. "So, you're telling me that because of Randy's tip to Steve and Steve's tip to you that you went on that hunt for Mario Rosolli?"

"Yep," I replied. "I want to talk to Steve and see if maybe Randy was doing something else."

"Well, I guess it's worth a shot," said Ben. "Let's go."

As we headed to the Turner house I couldn't help but feel worried that this was somehow my fault. I never should have gone to that gathering. If the Dragons had caught wind of what Randy had done, then they had either captured him or killed him. I only hoped that they wouldn't target Steve next. If they did, then I'd be responsible for two deaths.

Steve's parents let us in when we knocked on the door. Their eyes were full of sorrow as they led us into the main room of their home. I could tell they were upset over what had happened to their oldest son. I knew that it was important for me to talk to Steve now. I had to find out more.

"Mrs. Turner, is Steve at home?" I asked her.

She nodded. "He's in his room," she replied. "He rarely comes out of there. He didn't even want to go to school today after what happened."

"I understand," I said. "I need to talk to him to see if he might have any information regarding his brother's whereabouts."

"The detectives already talked to him," she pointed out. "He told them everything he knew."

"I need to question him again to make sure he told them everything," I told her. "May I go see him?"

"Sure," she responded. "His room's the first door on the right."

I nodded. "Thanks," I said and went up to Steve's room. The door was closed, so I knocked softly. "Steve, it's Aubree," I said. "Can I come in?"

At first there was no reply, but then I heard footsteps approach the door and open it. Steve looked horrible as he looked at me. "Sure, come on in," he said.

I stepped into the room and noticed how messy it was. Books and clothes were strewn on the floor. There were even some empty food wrappers strewn about, too. On Steve's bed was a photograph album he must have been looking through. Peering at it, I saw that it was filled of pictures of Steve and Randy together. In one they were smiling and looked as though they were at an amusement park of some sort. A pang shot through me as I saw it. If Randy was dead, it was my fault for interfering in the first place. I sat in Steve's desk chair while he sat on his bed.

"Steve, I need to ask you if you know anything about where your brother was at the night he was reported missing," I explained.

"I already told those detectives everything," he said. "They know he went to a Purple Dragon meeting and never came back."

"Do you think the Dragons are holding him hostage?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "I'd believe anything of them though."

"Did Randy tell you anything about anything happening to certain members who betrayed the group?"

Steve shook his head. "No, all he said was that when it came to the Purple Dragons, loyalty was the most important thing."

"Okay, thanks, Steve," I said. "You've been very helpful. I want to apologize for making you my informant. I shouldn't have asked you to do that."

Steve waved away my apology. "Don't worry about it," he said. "I made the choice to do it."

I nodded. "I'll do my best to find him, Steve," I vowed. "I promise."

"I know you will, Aubree," he replied. "I have faith in you."

I gave him a small hug and left go downstairs. As Ben and I left I filled him in on what Steve had told me. "So, he went to a meeting and never came back," I concluded.

"Sounds pretty fishy to me," mused Ben. "Chief assigned us to check out a group of warehouses on Bay Ridge Street. Maybe we can find something there."

"I hope so," I muttered.

"So, before Chief called us in, you looked like you wanted to talk to me," Ben noted. "What's up?"

I sighed. Suddenly, what happened this morning seemed so petty compared to what was happening now. "Mom set me up on a date with some lawyer," I told him.

"Wow!" he said. "What brought that on?"

"She says she wants me to get married and have a family," I replied. "I don't want that right now. I like my life the way it is."

"Did you tell her that?"

"Yeah, but she didn't listen," I answered. "I told her I'd give it a chance, but if it doesn't work out, I'm not going to try it again."

"Good move," Ben responded. "I say just try it and see where it goes."

"Easy for you to say," I retorted. "I don't see you getting set up to see some new girl. This whole thing is just ridiculous."

"Hey, she just wants what's best for you," Ben reassured me.

"The best thing she can do is leave me alone," I muttered.

We lapsed into silence as we approached the warehouses. They looked as though they hadn't been occupied in years. Many of the windows were boarded up while others were just broken. Graffiti was everywhere as various gangs marked their territories and showed who they were. Did the Purple Dragons really have their hideout here?

The first few warehouses we searched came up empty for anything. We split up and checked two other warehouses. As I approached the one I was to search, I could tell that something wasn't right. I made a scan of the area to make sure no one would sneak up on me from behind. As I opened the door, a horrible smell assaulted my nostrils, causing me to pinch my nose. I looked down and nearly lost my lunch. Randy Turner's body was lying in a pool of his blood. His throat had been cut by either a rival gang or the Purple Dragons.

"Ben, get over here now!" I yelled.

Ben rushed to my side. "I'm here, Aub, what's up?" he asked. Then he saw Randy's body. "Holy shit," he whispered. "We'd better tell Chief." He pulled out radio and told Chief what I had discovered. As he talked, I couldn't help but keep staring at the body. This was my fault. I had caused this to happen.

"Chief says that homicide is on its way," Ben said. "They'll take over from here." He saw my face and looked concerned. "Are you okay, Aub?"

I shook my head. "It's my fault," I whispered. "If I hadn't asked Steve to be my informant, none of this would've happened."

Ben put his arm around me. "It's not your fault, Aub," he soothed. "You didn't cause this to happen."

"Yes, I did," I insisted. "Rosolli found out and targeted Randy. What if he targets Steve next?"

"He won't," Ben reassured me. "We'll protect him."

I wanted to believe Ben's words, but I couldn't help but feel that Rosolli would stop at nothing to catch Steve and me. I was about to respond when my phone made a noise that indicated I had a text message. I pulled it out, hoping that it was Mikey with a prank text. Leo had warned me that he would do that as a joke. But as I looked at the text, I could tell it wasn't from Mikey but from an unidentified number.

**Like my little present? You better watch your back, or you're next. **

The note wasn't signed, but I knew who it was from. There was only one man who wanted me dead, who wanted me to stay out of his business for good. The only man who wouldn't hesitate to threaten me for thwarting his plans that day.

Mario Rosolli.

A/N: So, that's the end of another chapter. Things are really starting to come together for me. I should have an update sooner rather than later, though I don't know when that will be. Please leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Conversations

A/N: Hey, sorry for the long wait, but I wanted to get a few chapters written out so that I can update more frequently instead of just updating one chapter and leaving you guys hanging. I'm really excited for how this story's turning out, and I've decided to turn it into a series called The Deadly Game series. This will be the first story in it, and I have two other main stories that I've been outlining in my head. The one-shots I've done and Random Musings will count as side-fics that aren't part of the main storyline but are just there for filler and for fun. So, I really hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks for those who have stuck with this so far. I really enjoy feedback and want to know how I'm doing on this, so feel free to review.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. Aubree and any other OCs that are in this story are mine. Normally, I would tell you guys to just see chapter one, but I figured it would be easier to just put a regular disclaimer instead of having you guys just look there for it. Enjoy!

Ben Henningan took off his coat and hung it up. He was still reeling from the events of the day and really needed to unwind. He had told Aubree to report the text message to Chief, but she refused, saying that since she knew who it was from, it wasn't a big issue. She told Ben that if another one came in, then she would report it. Ben wasn't happy with that answer, but he knew that his sister was very stubborn.

Ben was about to turn on the TV when a noise from his computer distracted him. He went to it and saw his brother, David looking at him.

"Hey, bro, I thought you'd forgotten me," David quipped.

"Now's not the time to be joking around," Ben replied. "I had a hard day."

"What, is Aubree being a pain in the ass?" David teased. "Come on, you can't let her get to you."

"David, Aubree and I found a dead body today," replied Ben.

The joking look dropped from David's face. "Are you serious?" he whispered.

Ben nodded. ""Yeah, and we don't' have any leads," he said. "But that's not all. Right after we found the body Aubree received a text from an unknown number. It said for her to back off or she'd be next."

"Did she tell her boss about it?"

"Nope," responded Ben. "I told her to tell Chief, but she said she'd handle it by herself."

David shook his head and sighed. "Why does she have to be like that?" he groaned. "This is a really serious thing. But maybe you could do something without telling her."

"I don't want to go behind her back, Dave," said Ben.

"Well, I'll talk to her tomorrow and see if I can't get her to see sense," declared David. "Maybe she'll listen to me."

Ben snorted. "Good luck with that," he replied.

"So, she definitely thinks Rosolli is behind this?"

"Yes, she does," answered Ben. "I think that's why she needs to tell Chief about this. Maybe they can use the information to finally catch him. But Aubree's determined to catch him on her own. It's like this vendetta she has against him."

"Vendetta?" repeated David. "Why would she feel that way?"

"It's because when Dad died in the attacks, Rosolli was interviewed by a news reporter," Ben explained. "She asked him how he felt about the attacks and Rosolli said he was glad all the cops had died and that they deserved it."

"Holy shit, I never knew that!" David exclaimed. "So, Aubree feels that if she catches Rosolli she'll be avenging Dad's memory in a way. Yeah, that sounds like her all right."

"I know her intentions are good, but she's in way over her head," Ben mused. "I don't want her to get hurt."

"I hear you, Ben," David agreed. "But maybe she needs to learn the hard way. If she won't listen to reason, I say keep an eye on her and interfere only if it's necessary. That's about all you can do."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Ben replied. "All we can do is roll with the punches on this one. I'll make sure to keep an eye on her no matter what."

"Good," David approved. "Listen, I have to go, but I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay," Ben responded. "Talk to you later, bro."

"'Bye," David answered and signed off.

After Ben got off the computer his phone rang. Thinking it was his sister, he sighed and picked up. "Hello?" he said.

"Hey, Ben, it's Luis," the voice on the other end said. "You wanna hang out at the bar and have some wings?"

Ben nodded. "Sure, that would be great," he replied. He figured it would be a good distraction from everything that had happened that day.

"Great," Luis answered. "I'll meet you down there in a few."

Ben got ready to meet Luis and arrived at the bar in record time. He spotted Luis waiting for him and got out of his car to greet him.

"Hey, I figured you could use some guy time after the day you had," Luis told him.

"Yeah, it sounds good to me," Ben agreed. He followed his friend inside, and they ordered two plates of wings and two beers. When their orders arrived, the two men began digging in like they hadn't eaten in days.

"So, I heard about how you found Turner's body," Luis began. "How did Aub take it?"

Ben took a sip of his Budweiser before he answered, "She was in shock. She's blaming herself for what happened."

"Well, she was a bit reckless, but the murder wasn't her fault," Luis pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's not the worst of it," Ben continued. "She got a threatening text telling her to back off or she's next."

"Is she gonna tell Chief about that?" Luis was concerned for Aubree's safety, and it showed in the tone of his voice.

"No, she wants to handle it by herself," Ben replied.

Luis put his finger to his chin. "Well, what if one of us tells Chief what's going on and asks us to keep our tips as anonymous?" he suggested.

"As good as that sounds, Aubree's smart enough to figure out who it is," Ben argued. "And since I mentioned telling Chief, she'll suspect that I had something to do with it."

"So, you think we should just let this go?"

"No, I think we should keep an eye on her and interfere if it keeps happening," Ben responded, echoing his brother's words. "We can't force her to come clean about this."

Luis sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said resignedly. "I don't like it though."

"Neither do I, but we don't have a choice," Ben agreed. "We just have to roll with the punches."

Luis nodded and changed the subject over to wrestling, which Ben was grateful for. As much as he loved and cared about Aubree, he knew there wasn't anything to be done once she set her mind to something. To force her to talk would result in a fight while lying to her would result in the silent treatment. No, the best thing to do was to stay out of it and let his sister handle it like she wanted to. If the situation got worse, then he would step in and help. He would rather let Aubree have her own way than fight with her. Aubree was famous for holding grudges, and Ben didn't want to be responsible for causing a grudge against him.

22222

Leonardo was feeling worn out as he entered the Lair. He had tried to persuade Aubree to report the text message she had received, but she refused to do so, despite Leo's insistence that it was important. He knew Aubree was stubborn, but this was something that couldn't be ignored. If anything happened to Aubree, Leo knew he'd never forgive himself.

The Lair was quiet as everyone else but Splinter was in bed. The Rat smiled at his oldest son and beckoned him to sit beside him. The blue-clad Turtle did so, waiting for his father to speak.

"Is Miss Hennigan doing well?" he asked.

Leo shook his head. "No, she isn't," he answered. "She found Randy Turner's dead body today. Adding to that, she also received a threatening text message that basically ordered that she back off of the case or she's next. I told her to report it, but she said she'd handle it herself." He looked at his father beseechingly. "What am I supposed to do, Master?"

"There is nothing you can do if Miss Hennigan is set in her ways," Splinter replied. "But you can keep an eye on her and interfere if it becomes too dangerous for her."

Leo nodded. "I understand, Master Splinter," he said. "I feel like she's gotten into a mess that's too big for her." He chuckled. "You should have heard our conversation. I swear that I was talking to a female Raph, especially when she told me I couldn't tell her what to do."

Splinter laughed along with him at that. "Yes, Miss Hennigan is a bit like Raphael at times," he replied. "While it is hard for me to say this, perhaps she will have to learn her mistake the hard way."

"Yeah, she will," agreed Leo. "But if anyone thinks of harming her, I'll stop them at any cost." His eyes were full of determination as he said this. He was going to make sure Aubree didn't get hurt no matter what it took.

"I would expect nothing less from you, Leonardo," responded Splinter. "You have a good heart and a protective nature your brothers often take for granted. I hope that Miss Hennigan does not take your protection for granted. Just be cautious, my son."

"I will, Sensei," promised Leo, bowing his head.

Splinter responded to his son's show of respect and bade him goodnight before retiring to his chambers.

Leo went to his room and meditated before going to bed himself. He was worried about Aubree and how her recklessness could put her in danger, but there was nothing he could do. He had to simply sit back and let the events unfold. He didn't want to sit around, but he knew if he interfered now, Aubree would resent him, and he didn't want that. With a sigh, he lay down and drifted off to sleep hoping that tomorrow would bring a better day. Little did he know what the day and night would bring for him and Aubree.

A/N: And another chapter is finished. Aubree sure is stubborn, isn't she? I wanted to bring Ben and David into the picture because I like them so much, and I thought it would be cool to have a chapter sort of focused on Ben. The next chapter will be up very soon, possibly tomorrow if I'm in the mood for it. If not, then it will be up sometime this week. Feel free to leave a review after you've finished reading. Have a shelltastic day.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Conversations

A/N: Hey, sorry for the delay on this. I was waiting for the right time to post this, and it got crowded out with bad sinus headaches. I kind of have one now, but I'm posting this anyway because I'm in the mood to do so. I want to thank those who have read, reviewed, added this story to their favorites list, and those who have added this to their alerts list. It means a lot to me that you're enjoying this story. I have a good idea of where it's going and how it's going to end, so you may not have to wait too long for that. It'll just depend on my mood and when I can post. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: The TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon Studios. I only own the OCs.

I really wasn't in a good mood when I went to work the next day. I knew Ben would tell me to report the text to Chief, and I didn't want to do that. It just irked me that everyone I talked to thought they had my best interests at heart. Why couldn't they accept that I was a grown woman and that I could handle my own business?

"Hey, Aubree, I heard you have a hot date tonight," Luis said. "You nervous?"

I glared at Ben and couldn't believe he'd said anything. "Thanks a lot, Benjamin!" I snapped. "Some brother you are!"

"I only told Luis!" Ben protested.

"The point is you weren't supposed to tell anyone," I informed him. I really didn't know how much more of this I could take. Between Ben and Leo I was lucky I was even going to have any privacy. Then again, knowing Ben or Leo, they'd probably have spies watching my every move. After all, I couldn't be trusted to handle anything on my own.

Ben and I rode in silence for our shift. I had half a mind to tell Chief to switch partners, but I knew he wouldn't listen to me. He never did. Ben tried to apologize, but I ignored him. This was our first fight in at least sixteen years. I hated fighting with Ben, but I was pissed off, and I was famous for holding grudges when I was pissed off.

After our shift was over, Chief asked to speak with me. My heart started beating rapidly. Had Ben told him about the texts? Was he going to lecture me about them? Trying to put on a brave face, I went into Chief's office and took a seat.

Chief smiled at me. "I just want to commend you on handling your partnership with your brother," he said. "I was worried you would rebel and whine, but you've taken your medicine, and I'm proud of you. Now, make sure you don't mess this up. I'm counting on you to do things right, Hennigan. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," I replied. "I promise I won't screw this up." Yeah, right, I was already screwing it up by not coming clean about a text message.

"Good," Chief said. "I'll hold you to that. You're dismissed."

I left his office and headed home to prepare for my date with Carson the lawyer. I wasn't looking forward to it by any means, but I knew I couldn't back out of it if I tried. I just hoped this guy didn't get any ideas that this would be a long-term thing. If he did, I would make sure to set him straight right away.

"Relax, Aubree, you can do this," I coached myself as I got ready for my date. "It's just one little date. Nothing is going to happen to you. If you can handle taking down drug dealers, you can handle this."

There was a knock at my door, and my heart started beating like a drum. I gave myself one last look and then hurried to open the door to reveal my date. Carson Donnelly was dressed in a suit and looked like he had just come from the office. I was dressed in slacks (No dresses for me, thank you very much) and a white dress sweater.

He smiled as he took in my dress attire. "You look nice," he said. "I'm Carson Donnelly." He held out his hand for me to shake.

"Aubree Hennigan," I replied as I shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Aubree," he said. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah, sure," I answered. I followed him out and locked my door. He led me to his car and opened the door for me so I could get in. I thanked him and got in the car. It was actually pretty nice for a Mercedes.

"I would have gotten changed into something more casual, but I had to stay at the office a little later than normal," he said apologetically. "I should have told your mother what you should wear, but I didn't think of it."

"That's fine," I replied. "So, why were you at the office so late?"

"We're working on a very important case right now," he answered.

"Oh, I see," I responded. "I'm pretty busy myself."

"What's it like being a police officer?" he asked me.

"Hectic," I answered. "There's always something happening as far as crime is concerned. What's it like being a lawyer?"

"Very stressful," he responded. "I didn't want to be a lawyer at first. I actually wanted to play football, but Dad has his heart set on me being a lawyer. So, I decided to respect his wishes and went to law school."

"Why didn't you stick with football?" I asked him. "That was your dream."

"Yes, but it was unrealistic," he replied. "I know that football players make a lot of money in the NFL, but in reality they aren't happy with what they have."

"That's bullshit," I scoffed. "Any NFL player who wins the Super Bowl seems pretty damn happy to me."

"Well, they may look happy, but I can guarantee you that they wish they were doing something else," he answered.

I shook my head but said nothing more. I just couldn't agree with how he viewed football players or any other athletes. "So, you don't like football?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah, I'm a die- hard Giants fan," he answered. "What about you?"

"I watch the Giants, but that's it for football," I told him. "I really like professional wrestling."

He burst out laughing. "Are you serious?" he laughed.

I nodded. "Yeah, I am."

"I can't believe you watch that garbage," he scoffed. "No respectable human being watches something like that. Only mindless idiots get sucked into that."

I glared at him. "So, I'm just a mindless idiot?" I asked him.

"You are if you like that stuff," he said. "It's all fake."

"No, it isn't," I insisted. "Wrestlers train just as hard as basketball players and football players. They dedicate their lives to it, and they enjoy it."

He rolled his eyes. "Spoken like a true mindless idiot," he remarked.

"Really?" I countered. "Well, you're a pompous asshole."

Instead of getting angry, he laughed at my remark. "Touche," he said. "I guess I do come off that way, but at least I'm honest with my opinions. Most people aren't honest, and they like to sugarcoat things to make them sound better, but that's not realistic. People these days are constantly living in a fantasy world and think that dreams will just pop out of thin air. In reality, if you want to achieve something, you have to work for it."

Although I could understand what he was saying, it sounded pretty conceited. Then he changed the subject to his cases ad how many he'd won. I pretended to listen but ended up tuning him out because I just didn't care. While most people would think Carson was a really nice person, I just thought he was a pompous asshole who was stuck on himself.

The restaurant he'd picked out was really nice, and the food was really good. He asked me a little bit about my background and then proceeded to talk about himself some more. Once again, I tuned him out while maintaining a façade that I was listening to him. Thankfully, the date ended, and I hoped that he wouldn't take me to his home. Luckily, that wasn't the plan, and I felt relieved until he took a detour to a spot by the Hudson River.

I was a bit confused. "Why are we stopping here?" I asked.

"Because this is one of my favorite places," he answered. "I often come here to wind down after a hard day. Isn't it beautiful?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it is," I agreed.

"Of course, it's not as beautiful as you," Carson said as he looked into my eyes.

Before I could respond with a smart comment, he leaned over and kissed me. I pushed against him, and he broke the kiss, looking confused.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

I wiped my lips with the back of my hand. "What the hell did you do that for?" I demanded.

He looked baffled by my question. "I thought this was a good moment to tell you how I feel," he answered. "I really like you, Aubree." He leaned forward for another kiss, but I managed to find my pepper spray and nailed him in the face. He yelled and covered his eyes.

"What's your problem?" he yelled as he rubbed at his eyes, thinking that would make the burning go away. Instead, it made the burning worse, which was my plan.

"My problem is that you kissed me without my permission," I replied.

"Well, you didn't have to pepper spray me!" he snapped. "And why is this burning not going away?"

"Because you have to put water on it and let it settle without rubbing it," I explained. I knew it was wrong of me to enjoy his plight, but I couldn't help but feel happy about what I did to him.

He growled and fumbled for the door handle to let himself out of the car. Then he stumbled blindly, trying to find his way to the river. Once he managed to find it, he put the water in his eyes, disregarding the fact that the water in the Hudson River wasn't very clean. When he was done, he pointed a finger at me, though it wasn't in the right direction.

"You'll pay for this!" he snarled. "You're nothing but a horrible bitch! I'll make sure no one goes out with you again!"

"Whatever," I replied as I began walking away.

"Where are you going?" he demanded.

"Home," I replied. "You're in no condition to drive and even if you were, I wouldn't go home with you after that sickening display."

"You won't make it on your own," he predicted.

I turned around and smirked at him even though he couldn't see it. "Watch me," I answered. "Oh, wait, you can't watch me, so just listen instead." And with that, I left him to wipe the mace and snot out of his eyes and nose.

As I walked I took out the Shell Cell Don had made for me and pressed the blue button. If there was ever a time I needed Leo, it was now. I braced myself as it rang two times before he picked up.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hey, Leo," I said. "Nice night, isn't it?"

"Hi, Aubree," he replied. "How was your date?" I had told him what my mom had done, and he had told me to just go for it like Ben had.

"Oh, it was fine until the asshole tried to put the moves on me," I replied.

"He WHAT?" Leo demanded. I could tell by his tone of voice that he wanted to do something drastic to Carson. While that would be funny to me, I knew I couldn't risk that.

"Easy there, Tiger," I soothed him. "I retaliated with some pepper spray, and he backed off."

"What did he do to you?" Leo asked me.

"He kissed me without my consent," I answered. "But I took care of it. I'm on my way home now."

"You're by yourself?"

"Yeah, I left Carson," I answered.

Leo sighed. "Where are you?" he asked. "I'll come pick you up."

I gave him the street names, and he told me he'd be there soon. As I waited I couldn't help but think about what I would tell my mom when she asked me about the date. I couldn't lie to her, but I wasn't sure how she'd react to my story. Would she panic and insist I report Carson, or would she be disappointed and try to set up another date?

Before I could ponder this further, Leo arrived in the alley by where I was. I smiled as he revealed himself. He was definitely a better sight to behold than Carson had been.

"Are you okay?" he asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'll live," I answered. "So, did you rent a limo to take me home?"

Leo laughed. "No, I didn't," he said. "We'll have to settle for going home via the rooftops."

I was confused. "The rooftops?" I repeated.

"Yeah, we'll go roof hopping," he replied.

I was a little worried about that. "I don't think that's a good idea, Leo," I said. "Maybe we should just stick with the alleys, or we could call Don and ask him to bring the Battle Shell."

Leo smiled at my discomfort. "Why don't you want to go roof hopping, Aubree?"

I sighed. "Okay, if I tell you why, do you promise not to laugh at me?"

He nodded. "I promise," he said.

"I'm afraid of heights," I confessed.

Despite his promise, Leo burst out laughing. I glared at him, and he immediately stopped. "Sorry, but I don't think it's that bad," he said. "I was afraid of heights when I was younger. Master Splinter taught me to overcome my fear. I sometimes get scared but usually when I'm alone. When I'm with my brothers, I don't think about it that much." Then he looked at me with such a sympathetic look that caused my anger at him to fade away. "Aubree, how did you survive the police academy if you were scared of heights?" he asked. "Didn't you have to climb a wall?"

"Yeah, but what motivated me was my co-workers yelling at me to move it," I answered. "Well, they weren't my co-workers yet, but you get my drift."

"I see," Leo mused. "Well, we'd better get you home. It's getting late, and I don't want Master Splinter to get worried about me." He took me over to the fire escape and gestured for me to scale it. "After you," he said.

I took a deep breath and scaled the fire escape to the roof. I gulped as I stared at the building across from me. I was really high up. How could I even do this?

Leo, sensing my fear, took my hand and squeezed it. "Easy, Aubree," he soothed. "I'm right here. Just close your eyes and take deep breaths."

I did as he said, and it relaxed me. I could feel the fear leaving my body, but I attributed it more to Leo being there than to anything else. I opened my eyes and smiled at him. "Thanks," I whispered.

"You're welcome," he whispered back. "Now, let's go."

I nodded and took his hand, holding it as tight as I dared to. I was probably going to sever his fingers, but he didn't indicate that I was hurting him. He looked at me and told me to start running with him. I did so and jumped when he said to. It felt different, and I almost made it to the roof, but my heel slipped, and I almost fell. Luckily, Leo had a firm grip on me and pulled me up before I could fall. I sat there for a minute, trying to curb the fear that I'd felt as I almost fell.

"Are you okay?" he asked me as he looked at me in a concerned way.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm good," I managed to say.

"Do you want me to carry you instead?" he offered.

I shook my head. "No, I have to master this," I said. "My dad always taught me to get back up after I fell. I know he'd want me to do that now, too." There was a determined look on my face as I said this.

"Okay," he said. He took my hand, and we jumped another rooftop. This time it was easier, and I managed to land perfectly without slipping. We continued that way until we reached my apartment. I went down the fire escape and went into my apartment building to open the window for Leo. I felt a rush of adrenaline at what I'd just done, but I was also pretty tired. The only sound in the apartment was the sound of our breathing as we tried to catch our breath.

"So, some night, huh?" Leo teased.

"Yeah, it was just great," I teased back. "Though I have to admit, seeing you more than made up for my lousy date."

"Do you think he'll retaliate for what you did?" Leo asked me.

"Nah, I doubt he'd do anything," I replied. "There's not much he can do anyway."

"I guess not," Leo agreed. He continued to stare at me as though he was thinking of something. Then he asked, "Aubree, would you let me do something?"

I smiled. "Sure," I said. "If you want to kill Carson in cold blood, I'd let you do that."

"No, it's not that," he answered. He took a deep breath as though he was nervous. "Would you let me kiss you?"

"Why do you want to do that?" I inquired.

"I'm just curious," he said. "I've never kissed a woman before."

I was a bit hesitant about it, considering what had just happened with Carson. But then again, Leo was actually asking permission to kiss me, not forcing himself on me like Carson had. I figured it couldn't hurt to let him at least have the experience. "Well, okay," I finally said.

He leaned over cautiously and touched his lips to mine. It was a quick kiss, not a steamy one like in the movies. I felt a shock go through me, and I realized that he was a good kisser. He broke the kiss before I could even finish processing my feelings and looked away. I could tell he was embarrassed by what had just happened.

"Uh, thanks, Aubree," he said. "I-I should go now. I'll see you later. Good night."

"Good night, Leo," I responded. "You're welcome." I watched until he disappeared from my sight. Then I closed the window and got ready for bed. My cheeks were flushed as I thought about Leo's kiss. My lips tingled, and I knew that I wanted more. But why was that? I hadn't known him for very long. Was I really in love already?

No, that couldn't be, I decided. I was just delirious from the kiss. Yeah, that had to be it. I wasn't in love with Leo, but I had to admit to myself that I did like him a lot. He was so understanding and nice, two things I had hoped I'd find with the guy I fell in love with. Maybe I wasn't in love just yet, but that didn't mean I wouldn't fall in love with him. I felt that the more time I spent with him, the more my feelings for him would grow. And maybe that would be a good thing. And if they didn't turn into something more, then I would just have to be friends with him. I decided to cross that bridge when I got there. With that last thought in my head, I fell asleep and replayed our kiss in my dreams.

A/N: Wow. I can't believe this is thirteen pages long! And as for Leo asking permission, I can see him doing that. I know that my BF didn't kiss me until I was ready, and he asked me first if he could, so it can happen that way. And you will be seeing Carson again, but not in this story. I'm planning on having him in the sequel though, so look out for that coming soon. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Consequences

A/N: Hey, sorry I've taken so long to get this up. I just wanted to make sure I finished the whole story first before I posted any more chapters. And then sinus problems got in my way, and I decided I couldn't post with a bad headache. But now I'm back, and I hope to have the other chapters done up as soon as I can. I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story. Your kind words have been a great motivator for me, and I'm glad you're enjoying this story. Thanks a million.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. Mario Rosolli and his strict Catholic mother belong to me.

Leonardo leapt from rooftop to rooftop, trying to process what had just happened. Why had he asked if he could kiss Aubree? What was wrong with him? Was it just his curiosity that caused him to kiss Aubree, or was it something more? Was he in love, or did he just have a crush on her?

When Leo entered the Lair he found his father waiting up for him. He had the urge to tell Splinter what he had done, but this wasn't the best time since it was so late. He would tell him tomorrow.

"How was your patrol, my son?" Splinter asked him.

"It was fine, Master Splinter," Leo replied.

"Good," Splinter said. "Donatello has been spending some time in his laboratory. Please see that he gets to bed."

Leo bowed to his father. "Hai, Sensei," he responded.

Splinter smiled at his son and headed to his room. Leo headed in the direction of Don's lab and could see the light under the door. Don had a habit of staying up late at night when he was in the middle of a project, despite Leo's insistence that he get some sleep. Don often countered that the project was important and that it needed to be done as soon as possible. Leo knew it would be a battle to coerce Don to go to bed, but he was determined to try. He approached the door and knocked softly.

"Donnie, can I come in?" he asked.

"Sure, Leo," Don answered.

Leo opened the door and took in the sight of his brother tinkering with an invention. "Don, you've been at this for hours," he noted. "Splinter wants you to go to bed."

Don's gaze shifted to the clock on his laptop. "Yeah, I guess I should hit the sack," he replied. "So, how was patrol?"

"Pretty good," answered Leo.

"And how was your visit with Aubree?" His brothers knew that Leo often visited Aubree when he was on his solo patrols.

"Well, it was interesting," replied Leo. Then he told Don about walking Aubree home after her disastrous date with Carson.

"It was good you were there for her," commented Don. "She's lucky to have a friend like you."

"Yeah, but that's not all that happened," Leo replied. He took a deep breath as he got ready to tell Don what had transpired. "I asked her if I could kiss her, and she said I could."

Don's eyes widened in shock. "Leo, you kssed her?" he demanded.

Leo nodded. "Yeah, I did."

"And what did she do?" Don asked him.

"She kissed me back."

"I see," Don mused. Then, without warning, he smacked Leo upside the head, a gesture that was usually reserved for Mikey.

"Ow!" Leo yelped. "What was that for?"

"Hamato Leonardo, are you insane?" Don hissed in a whisper. "What were you thinking?"

Leo shrugged. "I was just curious," he replied. "Look, it was just one kiss. It wasn't like we had sex or anything."

"And do you realize that your curiosity now has major consequences?" Don replied. "Leo, there's no way you can be with her. You have to end it now."

Leo was surprised by Don's words. "End my friendship with Aubree?"

"No, not your friendship, your relationship," Don elaborated. "This can't go on."

"Don, there is no relationship," Leo reassured him. "Like I told you, it was just one kiss."

"So, you're not in love with her?" Don wanted to make sure Leo wasn't making a mistake that he would later regret.

"Not yet," Leo admitted. "I do like her, but I'm not in love with her right now."

"Does that mean you could fall in love with her?" Don prompted.

"Well, it's possible," Leo replied. "If I spend enough time with her, anything could happen."

"No, Leo, it can't," Don contradicted him. "She's a human. You're a mutant. There's no way it could work."

"Why not?" queried Leo. "We've been friends with humans before. We owe a lot to April and Casey for being there for us. Being friends with Aubree would be an asset to us."

"I'm not disputing that, Leo, but that's all she can be to us," said Don gently. "She can only be a friend and nothing more." He sighed. "Look, Leo, I know what you're going through. I had the same idea about April. I thought that our relationship would develop into more than just a friendship. I didn't really think about the consequences of what a relationship with her would bring. I just wanted something more for myself.

"But after April met Casey, things changed. I saw the way she looked at him, and I knew I could never be the one for her. I was jealous at first and resented Casey because he was the one she loved and not me. But as time progressed, I began to see how stupid I was to hate him so much. I knew that I couldn't have April in a romantic sense because I wasn't human. I've learned to accept that and have moved on. I'm glad to be friends with April, and I'm happy that she's found someone like Casey to be in her life."

"You weren't stupid, Donnie," Leo said softly. "You were just wishing for something that others are able to have. I think that if the opportunity were to present itself, you could find someone to love. I feel that way about myself, too. Why should we deny ourselves the chance to be happy just because we're different? I want to give myself the chance to see if it could really work and if someone could love me despite my appearance. I know it won't be easy, but I really feel that in time, Aubree could really learn to love me."

"You don't know that, Leo," Don told him. "You also have to remember our lifestyle and who we are. You're always the one upholding the fact that we're ninjas and guardians of the shadows. Would it really be fair to subject Aubree to that, too? We have so many enemies who could use her to get to us."

"She already has enemies," Leo pointed out.

"Exactly, and she isn't handling it the way she should be," Don responded. "How do you think she would handle our other enemies? What would happen if she went after Bishop or the Foot by herself?"

Leo laughed. "Don, you've met Aubree," he pointed out. "You know she's tough. Yeah, she's reckless at times, but she can hold her own."

"She also needs to stop rushing into things without thinking," Don added. "Leo, you already deal with Raph acting like that. Do you really think you can handle a female version of Raph all the time?"

Leo paused to think about that. Yes, Aubree was a lot like Raph, and it was sometimes frustrating, but he felt that if he could handle Raph day after day and live to tell the tale, he could handle Aubree. "I think I can," he said. "I know it'll be a challenge, but I think I'm up to it."

Don thought about Leo's words. "Well, Leo, if that's your decision, I guess I'll have to live with it," he stated. "I just want you to think long and hard about the possible consequences and how such a relationship really isn't that logical because of what we are."

"Believe me, Don, I am thinking about it," Leo replied. "I know the risks involved and I understand your concern. But I really feel that in time I can be more than a friend to Aubree. I want to try to be more than just a ninja and a leader. It's easier for you guys because you don't have that burden of responsibility that I do. I want the chance to not only be a ninja and a leader, but I also want the chance to be happy. I think I can have both in my life. You may not have gotten your chance, Donnie, but I want to give this a shot. I hope you can understand where I'm coming from."

Don nodded. "I do, Leo," he said. "I just hope it works out for you."

"Thanks, Donnie," Leo responded. "Now, can you please go to bed?"

Don laughed. "Yeah, I guess I should get some shut eye," he agreed. "See you in the morning, Leo." He clapped his brother on the shoulder and went to his room.

After Leo made sure Don went to his room, he went to his own quarters and meditated. He could see why Don was concerned about any of them having a relationship with a woman. He knew Splinter had been concerned about it before, too. Their lifestyle as ninjas just wasn't right for it. But Leo knew that Aubree could handle it. After all, she was a cop and had dealt with a lot of different criminals and enemies of her own. Then again, she tended to be reckless and secretive about certain things. But despite this, he trusted her and knew that he couldn't interfere when it came to Rosolli just yet. If she was in danger, then he would jump in and help out. That was all he could do for now. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he blew out his candle and went to bed.

22222

Mario Rosolli cracked open a beer and reclined in his chair as he watched a football game. He was thinking about how to get rid of that cop. Hun trusted him to carry out the job, and he knew what would happen to him if he failed. He didn't really want to end up like Randy Turner. On the other hand, it had been funny when he'd sent that text to Hennigan's phone. Now she was probably scared shitless and begging to be off the case. Women were sissies. They just couldn't handle things the way men could.

Then he thought about the picture he'd taken outside her apartment. She'd been kissing someone, but he hadn't been able to make out who it was. Still, it would make for some good ammunition against her anyway, but he needed to find out who it was. Then he remembered his neighbor from across the hall, Phil. He was a huge geek and was very good with computers. Maybe he'd be able to decipher the picture.

Rosolli turned off the TV and went to his neighbor's apartment. Luckily, Phil was home watching a Star Wars movie. He seemed confused to see Rosolli and asked him what he was doing there.

"I need a favor, Phil," he replied. "I got this picture on my cell phone, but it's all blurry. Is there any way you can make it clearer?"

Phil's face brightened. "Yeah, I can do that," he said. "Come on in."

Rosolli followed Phil into his apartment and to his laptop which was sitting on the kitchen table. Phil booted it up and asked to see the picture. Rosolli showed him, and Phil began to study it.

"Is that your girlfriend?" he asked.

Rosolli felt like he was going to be sick at the thought of dating that cop, but he knew he couldn't tell Phil the truth. "She was 'til she broke up with me," he said. "Now I know why she broke it off. She was seein' this guy."

Phil nodded and set to work transferring the image to his computer. Then he began to work on enlarging the picture and making it clearer. When he was finished, Rosolli gasped. The cop was kissing one of the freaks! Yes, this explained everything. Now he'd be able to manipulate her even more with this piece of news.

"Wow, that guy really likes to dress up," Phil commented. "But I can't make out what character he's supposed to be."

"He probably made it up," Rosolli grumbled. "Look, thanks for helpin' me out. Could you send that picture to my e-mail?"

"Sure," Phil said. He wrote down Rosolli's e-mail address and sent the picture to it.

"Thanks," Rosolli said. "I'll see you later."

"Don't you want to stay and watch the movie with me?" Phil asked him.

"Nah, I've got stuff to do," he replied and left the apartment without another word.

When he was back in his apartment, Rosolli was ready to start the next phase of his plan when his phone rang. Seeing that it was his mother, Rosolli picked it up.

"Mario Benito Rosolli, don't you ever ignore me again!" she chastised. "I try to call you earlier."

"I was out," he responded.

"Out where?" she demanded. "Selling drugs? Sleeping with hookers? Drinking until you fall over?"

"Goddammit, Ma, why do you have to assume I'm doin' any of that stuff?" Rosolli whined.

"Don't you dare blaspheme the Lord!" Mama Rosolli chastised. "If you were here right now, I'd smack you good and make you say the rosary."

"Yeah, whatever, Ma," Rosolli grumbled. "I'm too old to be spanked."

"You're never too old to be spanked," she contradicted.

Rosolli sighed. "What's this about, Ma?"

"I called to invite you to dinner on Sunday," she replied. "Your sister's coming to visit, and I want my family here with me again."

"Ma, I can't," Rosolli answered. "I have a job to do."

"What kind of job?" she asked. "Is it something to do with that gang of yours?"

"I'm not in a gang!" he protested.

"Oh, yes, you are," she responded. "I see it in the papers. Don't you lie to me, Mario, I know many things."

"Ma, it's a construction job," he said. "Pays real well."

"You lie, Mario," she said. "I know you're not telling me the truth. So be it. If you won't come, then you won't come. I'd rather not have your sinning ass in this house anyway." Then she hung up.

"Stupid bitch," he muttered. "Who'd want to go to her house anyway?" He kept grumbling to himself for a while and then decided to keep watching the game. Soon, his plan would succeed, and no one would be able to call him a failure anymore. He'd rule the city and the Purple Dragons whether Hun liked it or not. With a smile on his face at the thought of what Hun would do, he drank his beer and cheered when the Giants scored a touchdown.

A/N: Yay! One more chapter is done! Once again, I'm sorry it took so long to get it up, and I promise that the other chapters will be up soon, too. Believe it or not, I'm already working on the sequel to this, and I hope to have it up at least by next month. We'll see how things go. Please feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Heart to Heart

A/N: Hey, I know it's been a while, but I haven't been in the mood to post. Well, now I'm in the mood, so here's the next chapter. Sorry for the long delay, guys. I want to thank all of you for being patient and sticking with me on this. Your support has meant the world to me. So without any further delay, on with the story.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters now belong to Nickelodeon. I do own Aubree Hennigna and her conflicting emotions.

The next day my brain was reeling with questions. What had happened? Why had it happened? How had it happened? Did Leo mean to kiss me like that? Did he like me as more than a friend, or was it just an experiment? If it wasn't just an experiment, what was I going to do? I didn't like Leo in that way yet. It wasn't possible for me to feel that way.

I knew that I would have to talk to someone about this. Ben and my mom were out of the question because they couldn't know about any of this. So I had to go to the only person I could discuss this situation with: April Jones. I had gotten to know April and Casey after I met the guys, and I had formed an instant bond with April right away. I knew that I could talk to her about my little dilemma and that she would give me advice on what to do.

I knocked on the door, and April let me in. She had been flipping through the TV channels when I arrived.

"Aubree, it's so good to see you," she said as she turned off the TV. "Have a seat. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Just some water," I replied. "Where's Casey?"

"He had to go to work this weekend," she answered. "He had to cover someone's shift."

"I'm glad I don't have to work this weekend," I said.

April laughed. "Tell me about it," she said. "At least I can spend some time with Shadow."

"Where is she?" I looked around, expecting to see her come out of her room.

"She's taking a nap."

"Oh," I said. "Well, at least it gives you a break."

She nodded. "So, what brings you here today, Aubree?" she asked.

I thought about lying to her, but I knew she'd see through it. "Well, I came here for some advice," I told her.

"About what?" she inquired.

I took a deep breath. "It's about a guy," I told her.

She brightened. "Oh, that's great!" she exclaimed. "Is this the guy your mom set you up with?"

I shook my head. "No, that didn't work out," I answered. I was shaking so much I was afraid she'd notice. "It's Leo."

"Leo?" she repeated. "As in Leonardo?"

I nodded. "Yeah." I could tell she was a little confused, so I went on, "After my date with Carson I called Leo, and he took me home via the rooftops. When it was time for him to leave, he asked if he could kiss me, and I told him he could, so he kissed me on the lips. It was a quick kiss, but it felt so good. After he left, my thoughts were going a mile a minute, and I wasn't sure what I was feeling. I know I can't be in love with him based on just one kiss, but I definitely felt something there. What should I do, April?"

April just kept staring at me as I finished talking, and then she asked, "You kissed him?"

"Yeah, just a little one," I reiterated.

"Aubree Hennigan, are you insane?" she demanded. "Do you have any idea what your actions have led to?"

"April, it was just one kiss," I reminded her.

"But for Leo it was probably more," she replied. "Aubree, you know that a relationship between the two of you isn't possible. He's a mutant, and you're a human. He's also a ninja who has many enemies who could use you for bait. You have to stop this relationship before it even starts."

"April, you're one of their friends, and their enemies could use you as bait, too," I pointed out.

April sighed. "Okay, you got me there, but think of the other complications this could cause. You couldn't get married, and even if you were able to, you'd probably have to live in the sewers for the rest of your life. Would you be able to handle that?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "April, relax," I said. "I have no intention of getting married. I'm not ready for that type of commitment yet."

"Okay, but Leo might get that idea into his head. He's never been in love before, and he doesn't realize that love can sometimes make you think of things that aren't logical."

"I highly doubt Leo's thinking about marrying me," I reassured her. "He knows that can't happen. He's probably just as confused as I am right now."

"And that's why you need to end it," she insisted. "You have to tell him that nothing can happen between you and that you have to remain friends. More than likely, Splinter's probably telling him the same thing."

"You're right," I agreed. "Leo's supposed to visit me tonight. I'll tell him then that we can't be together."

"Good," April approved. "It's what's best for both of you."

I didn't know about that, but I knew she was right. There was no way it could work out between us. I put it out of my mind as April talked about how well the shop was doing and how Shadow was learning new words every day. I listened and nodded when she paused in the conversation. I was happy things were going well for her and her family.

I decided to leave before Shadow woke up and promised to visit again soon. April told me she'd hold me to that promise and wished me a good day. I did the same to her and hurried to my apartment. It was nice visiting with April, but I was nervous about what I would have to say to Leo.

After I entered my apartment, I sat down and watched a few episodes of The Golden Girls. As I watched, I couldn't help but envy Blanche and how she had no trouble impressing men. She probably wouldn't have had a problem dating a mutant turtle. Then again, Blanche would probably just sleep with him and be done with it though I didn't think she'd go for Leo. She'd probably date Raph though.

When night fell, my heart starting beating frantically. I was at the window waiting for Leo to arrive. When I spotted him, I began to sweat. This was going to be so difficult to do, even though I knew it was the right thing. But when Leo approached, I was shocked to see that Splinter was with him.

"Hi, Aubree," Leo greeted me. "How was your day?"

"Interesting," I replied. "Not to be rude or anything, but what's Master Splinter doing here?"

"He came over to speak to you," Leo answered.

"Oh? About what?"

"Well, I told him about our kiss," Leo told me.

"Oh, I see." I knew then and there that Splinter was going to forbid our relationship. He would explain how it was too complicated and how Leo's lifestyle was just too dangerous to allow it. But then that would save me the trouble of having to tell Leo to end things.

"Yes, Miss Hennigan, Leonardo told me what happened between the two of you," Splinter began. "I must say that I did not anticipate something like this happening to one of my sons. I have often told them about the outside world and how humans would react to them and how many humans would not understand who they are. I have warned them about how some humans would want to study them for experimentation and forbade them from having any contact with humans for this very reason.

"But then April and Casey came into our lives, and I began to see that not all humans were dangerous. April and Casey accepted my sons and I and became great allies to us. I am grateful for all they have done for my family. Their relationship with us has been something special and one that I cherish dearly. But I never anticipated any of my sons forming a romantic relationship with any human. Yes, we have discussed it, and I have told them that such a relationship would never be possible because of what my sons are.

"And now you have entered our lives, Miss Hennigan, and, just like April and Casey, you have accepted us for who we are. You have not told anyone about us, even though it is your choice to do so. I see that Leonardo feels a kinship with you and that you feel the same thing for him. Even though you have not established a true relationship as of yet, I want you to know that when that time comes, you have my blessing to have a relationship with my son."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Was Splinter seriously going to allow me to date his son? Why wasn't he forbidding it?

"Aubree, are you okay?" Leo asked me.

"No, I'm not," I answered. I turned to Splinter. "I appreciate the kind words, but don't you see the complications a relationship between us could have?"

He nodded. "Yes, I have meditated on these complications ever since Leonardo confided in me. I know that there are going to be risks, such as the fact that we do have many enemies. However, I feel that you are strong enough to handle it. You have a strong spirit, and you can fight anyone who opposes you."

"Yeah, except for that group of Purple Dragons," I reminded him.

"That is true, but you were acting rashly then," he told me. "I feel that when you are prepared and have thought things through, you can fight well. You must plan ahead and not rush headlong into things. I feel that Leonardo will be a good influence as he will help you to not be so rash at times."

I still couldn't believe my ears. Was this really happening? I knew I had to set the record straight once and for all before things got out of control.

"Master Splinter, I understand what you mean, but I don't have any feelings for Leo," I told him. "He was just curious, and I gave him permission to kiss me. There's nothing else going on between us. Besides, he's a mutant and I'm a human. It just wouldn't work out between us because of our different lifestyles. I apologize for any misunderstanding this may have caused." As I said the words, a part of me wanted to clap my mouth shut with duct tape. It wasn't fair that I had to hurt Leo this way. He really liked me, and I really liked him. Why did we have to be denied the chance to have a relationship?

"I see," mused Splinter. "You have come to this conclusion on your own then?"

I wanted to tell him I had, but I knew that he'd see through my lie at once. Leo had told me that when they were younger that Splinter could always tell when they were lying to him. "No, I talked to April about it," I confessed.

Splinter nodded. "Yes, I can see why April would feel this way," he said. "She is very protective of my sons. Am I right in thinking that she assumed I would be overprotective about this matter as well?"

I nodded. "Yeah, she did. I thought the same thing myself."

Splinter chuckled. "Well, I may be the father, but I have realized that it is time for my sons to grow up," he explained. "Leonardo has proven to be a great warrior, and I trust that he will make a great teacher. As long as he does not let his relationship with you conflict with his duties as a leader and a brother, I have no objection to his decision. He is old enough to decide what is best for him now."

"I would never stand in his way," I told him. "I know how important family is, and I would never dream of making him choose between his family and me."

"I am glad to hear that, Miss Hennigan," Splinter replied. "You will make a great addition to our family as either a friend or something more if you so choose. In the meantime, feel free to come to the Lair whenever you wish. I think Michelangelo is looking forward to inviting you over for a movie night." He bowed to me and turned to go.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" I asked him.

"No thank you," he answered. "I really must be getting home. Leonardo, you are welcome to stay if you like, but do not be too late."

"I'll escort you home, Master," Leo replied.

"Will you come back?" I asked him.

"Not tonight, Aubree," Leo answered. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," I answered. At least he hadn't said that he'd never see me again. I watched them leave and then closed the window. My stomach was rumbling so I went to the kitchen and fixed myself something to eat. Just then, my cell phone chimed, indicating that I had a text message. When I opened it, I gasped. There was a picture of me and Leo at the window in the middle of our kiss. Who could have taken this picture? It wasn't even blurry and showed Leo clearly. I looked at the words that had been written below it:

**Isn't this a cute picture? You better do what I say, or this picture will be exposed to everyone. It'd be a shame if your secret was revealed. Wait for further instructions, and don't tell anyone about this text, or else. **

A chill ran up my spine as I realized I couldn't tell anyone about the text messages. I was on my own and had to wait for more instructions. How could this happen to me? I thought about trying to find a loophole in Rosolli's instructions, but I had no idea if there was one. I had to do this on my own.

And so I waited for the next message that would lead me to Rosolli. I was sure he was the one doing this to me, and I had to stop him at all costs. If I ended up dying, I'd take him with me. There was no way I was going to let him hurt anyone else. Come hell or high water, this was going to end.

A/N: Well, that's the end of the chapter. What did you think? I don't know when the next chapter will be up. It'll just depend on if I'm in a mood to post. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Ready or Not

A/N: Sorry for the long delay. I've just had a lot of other stuff come up, and this story got away from me. But now I'm ready to get back into the grind and finish what I started. Thanks so much to all of those who have stuck with this story so far. Your encouragement and patience has meant a lot to me. Thanks a million. And now, without further delay, here is the next installment of Hide and Seek.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related properties are owned by Nickelodeon Studios. I own Cynthia, Brianna, Eddie, Gia, and any other characters you don't recognize.

Cynthia sighed as she stared at the fire coming from the barrel. She was waiting for Mikey to come and visit, but he hadn't shown up yet. She looked around at all of the other homeless people gathered around the barrel. They ranged in age from five to eighty. They were like a family, always looking out for each other. That's what Cynthia had said to Mikey once when he talked about his own family and when he asked her if she wanted a true family of her own. This was all she had known since running away from the orphanage, and she never wanted to go back there again.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a cart coming her way. She smiled as she saw a black man pushing his cart of discarded cans down the street. He usually picked up discarded cans and tried to turn them in for money. He smiled when he spotted Cynthia.

"Hey, little lady, how are you doin' this fine evenin'?" he asked her.

"I'm fine, Eddie," she replied. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm gettin' by," answered Eddie. "I got a lot of cans today, and you know what that means." He rubbed his fingers together to indicate that he'd get a lot of money.

"Fat chance of that," said a voice, bitterness in its tone. Cynthia and Eddie turned to see Gia, one of the streetwalkers, who was leaning against a wall. "Those idiots don't pay anything for discarded cans, Eddie. Why don't you wake up?"

Cynthia scowled at Gia. She was always so negative when it came to things. Maybe it was because of her lifestyle, but Cynthia thought it was stupid of her to always be so down on herself and others. "Well, I hope Eddie does get some money," she said to Gia. "Maybe it would help out."

"Honey, the only way you can get money is to sell your body to men," Gia countered. "I'm surprised you haven't thought of that."

The young girl shuddered at the thought of selling herself for money. As young as she was, Cynthia knew about streetwalkers and what they did. It didn't take long for anyone to learn about the ways of the homeless and what they had to do to get shelter or even food. Many citizens wrote them off as nothing and never paid any attention to them, which was a shame.

"Now, stop scarin' the little lady, Gia," Eddie chastised. "You don't want her to get any nightmares, do you?"

Gia tossed her head. "Whatever," she replied. "I got work to do." Then she sauntered off to her corner to continue the lifestyle she'd made for herself.

Eddie turned to Cynthia. "You waitin' for your friend again?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Yep. He usually comes about now, but he isn't here yet. I hope nothing's wrong." She scanned the alley where Mikey usually showed up, but there was still no sign of him.

"Well, I'm sure he'll be along," reassured Eddie. "I gotta go now. You take care of yourself, little lady."

"I will, Eddie," she replied as she watched him walk away, whistling a tune. Eddie was always a positive person, despite the lifestyle he lived. They all tried to remain positive even though it was hard to do.

Someone tapped Cynthia on the shoulder, and she turned to find her best friend, Brianna, staring at her. Brianna was two years younger than Cynthia, and Cynthia often felt protective of her, even though Brianna never wanted anyone to take care of her. She was deaf, but she didn't want people treating her like she was helpless despite her handicap.

"Is your friend here yet?" Brianna signed.

"Nope," Cynthia signed back. "I don't know what's taking him so long."

"Well, I hope he gets here soon," Brianna replied. "I hate waiting here." Ever since Cynthia started telling everyone about her friend, Mikey, Brianna wanted to meet him herself. Cynthia had promised her that the next time Mikey came she'd introduce him to Brianna.

"I'm going over to the alley to wait," Cynthia told her friend. "I'll give you a signal when he comes."

"Okay," Brianna signed back. "Be careful, Cyn."

"I always am, Bree," she responded. She made her way to the alley where Mikey was supposed to come. It was pretty dark, but she wasn't scared at all. She went a little further in, thinking that Mikey could be here already before she came. Suddenly, someone grabbed her, but before she could scream, she felt something press against her head. Cynthia was frightened and didn't know what to do.

"Don't scream, or I'll blow your brains out," a man's voice ordered. "Just do as I say and you won't get hurt. Got it?"

Cynthia nodded her eyes wide with fear. She stole a glance at Brianna, waiting across the way, but she knew her friend couldn't' see her. She wished that she could call out to someone, but she was afraid that the man would carry out the deed and kill her. She just had to do whatever the man told her to.

"Good," the man said. "Let's go." He led her through the alley and to a car parked at the end. "Get in the trunk and don't make a sound," he ordered.

Cynthia obeyed, though she didn't want to. It was dark as soon as the man closed the trunk. She heard him start the car and felt the car move. Where was he taking her and why did he want her in the first place? It just didn't make sense to her. She hoped that Brianna would somehow figure out what had happened to her and get help. Or maybe Mikey could save her from this man. She smiled at the thought of her best friend as the car continued its journey. She had faith that Mikey or someone else would rescue her. She wouldn't be a prisoner long.

22222

Brianna waited impatiently for Cynthia to give her a signal. What was taking her so long? With a frustrated sigh that she couldn't hear, Brianna decided to go into the alley herself. As she neared it, she had a bad feeling that something was wrong, though she couldn't place it.

"Cyn!" she called, hoping her friend would hear her and give a signal that she was okay. Usually, she would tap Brianna on the shoulder or use a flashlight to signal that she was fine. At first, she thought maybe Cyn was playing a prank on her. She was well known for doing that, and if that was the case, it wasn't funny anymore. But as Brianna called again and received no signal, she began to worry. This wasn't a prank or a game anymore. Cynthia was gone, but who had taken her?

Brianna's first thought was to go to the police, but they probably wouldn't be able to help her anyway. They rarely cared about homeless people, and there was always the risk that she could be sent to an orphanage like Cynthia was. Brianna had run away from a foster home after her foster father abused her, and she never wanted to go back to that home or to an orphanage. The only thing she could do was wait for Mikey to come. Maybe he would be able to help her out.

2222

"I'm going to visit Cynthia, Sensei!" Mikey called. Ever since he first met the young girl, he'd been visiting her at least once a month to check up on her. His family had met Cynthia themselves and really liked the young girl. There were many times where they had begged her to leave the homeless lifestyle and choose a family of her own, but Cynthia didn't want that. She was happy where she was.

Splinter nodded. "All right, my son," he said. "Do not be too late, and tell Miss Cynthia that we all wish her the best."

"Will do, Master," Mikey replied. He waved cheerfully as he left the Lair and headed out to see his friend. As he hopped the rooftops, he rememberd that Cynthia had promised to introduce him to her friend Brianna. He was eager to meet her and get to know her. Mikey was truly a people person as he had fun meeting new humans and getting to know them. He hummed a little tune as he made his way to the alley where he usually met Cynthia. He smiled to himself. She was never late, but where was her friend?"

"Hey, Cyn, on time as usual," he commented as he entered the alley.

The person drew back as though they were afraid, and Mikey knew this wasn't Cynthia. What was going on? Had Cynthia given up on waiting for him, or had something happened to her?

"Hey, where's Cyn?" he asked. "And who are you? Come a little closer so I can see you."

As the person drew closer, Mikey saw that it was a girl with red hair and green eyes. Cynthia had blonde hair and blue eyes. Was this her friend?

"Where's Cyn at?" he repeated. "She was supposed to be here."

The girl tilted her head as though she was confused and signed something Mikey couldn't make out.

Mikey shook his head. "I don't understand sign language," he said. He held his hands up and made a confused face, hoping the girl would understand what he was trying to tell her. He motioned for her to follow him to where it was a bit lighter. Hesitating, the girl did as he asked. Then he turned to her and asked, "Have you seen Cyn?"

Brianna took out a small pad of paper and a pen and began writing When she was done she handed both the pen and the pad to Mikey.

The orange-clad Turtle read what the girl had written. "No, I haven't," the note said. "She was here and was going to give me a signal when her friend Mikey got here, but she never did. I came here to see what was wrong, and saw that she was gone. Are you her friend, Mikey?"

Mikey nodded and wrote on the paper, "Yeah, I am. Who are you?" He gave her back the paper so she could read what he'd written.

Brianna took the paper and pen back and wrote, "My name is Brianna, and I'm Cynthia's friend. Will you help me look for her?"

Mikey took back the paper and replied, "Yeah, I can help you. My brother knows a cop who can help us out, I'll call him and see if I can relay the message." After giving Brianna her paper and pen back, Mikey whipped out his Shell Cell and pressed the blue button. It rang once before Leo picked up.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hey, Leo, it's Mikey," Mikey said. "We've got a major situation here. Cynthia's missing, and I've got her friend Brianna here with me." Then he explained everything that Brianna had told him.

"Okay, I'm no it," Leo replied. "I'll call you back once I talk to Aubree. In the meantime, take Brianna back o the Lair. I don't' want to take a chance that the man who took Cynthia could come back for her."

Mikey nodded. "Gotcha," he said. Then he hung up and explained to Brianna (via the paper and pen) what was going on and what they needed to do next. Brianna seemed hesitant about going with Mikey, so he reassured her that she'd be safe with them. Brianna felt better and allowed Mikeyk to take her hand. He decided not to go by the rooftops since he figured Brianna would be scared, so he went through a few alleyways until he spotted a manhole cover. He lifted the lid and explained to Brianna that they had to go down there but that she'd be safe. He allowed her to climb on his back, and he carried her down that way, making sure to put the cover back on so that no one would get suspicious. When the y reached the Lair, Brianna's mouth gaped open as she saw where he lived.

"Welcome to my humble home," he wrote on the pad as he led her inside. Splinter saw them and immediately stood up.

"Who is your guest, my son?" he asked.

"This is Brianna, Cynthia's friend," Mikey replied. "She's deaf, so she communicates with this paper and pen." Then he took the paper and pen and wrote, "Brianna, I want you to meet Master Splinter, my father and Sensei."

Brianna giggled and wrote back, "Mikey, I can lip read, you know. We don't have to use the paper and pad."

Mkey grew frustrated. "Why didn't you say that before?" he asked her.

"Because I was having too much fun," she replied, giggling again.

"Welcome to our home, Miss Brianna," Splinter said. "Please, feel free to have a seat. What is going on, Michelangelo?"

Mikey explained everything to his father and how he had enlisted Aubree's help. "I figured maybe she'd know what to do," he concluded.

"Yes, it would be essential for Miss Hennigan to assist us," Splinter agreed.

Before Mikey could reply, his Shell Cell rang. "Talk to the Turtle," he greeted his brother.

"Mikey we have a huge problem," Leo answered. "Aubree's not here. Her cell phone's on the table, and there are two text messages. One is a photo of us kissing and a message underneath about how she wouldn't want this to get out. The second one is instructions for her to follow. If she doesn't, then the photo will be leaked to the press. I'm on my way to the Lair right now."

"What are the directions? Mikey asked him.

"The text says for her to meet the sender at Fifth and Waterfront. There's a group of warehouses there where the Purple Dragons sometimes hang out."

"Do you think this has anything to do with Cynthia's disappearance?"

"I don't know, Mikey," Leo said gently. "Look, I'll talk to you when I get to the Lair, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Mikey said. After Leo hung up, the orange-clad Turtle sighed. He just wanted Cynthia to be okay. What if she was dead or injured? He couldn't think of either possibility, so he told his father and Brianna what was going on.

"Calm down, my son," Splinter reassured him. "It is best to sit down until Leonardo gets here."

Mikey ignored his father and continued pacing. He couldn't just sit still. He had to distract himself from seeing Cynthia's dead or injured body in his mind. When he heard the Lair doors open, he gave a sigh of relief. At least Leo would have some answers. Don came out of his lab while Raph exited the dojo. They listened to the story of Brianna's arrival, Cynthia's kidnapping, and that Aubree wasn't home.

"I went to Aubree's apartment and saw that she was gone," Leo explained. "I snuck in and saw that her cell phone was on the table, and her inbox was open. I saw that she had two texts. Here they are." He took out Aubree's cell phone and showed the texts to his family. The first one showed the photograph of Leo and Aubree kissing with a message about how it woudl be a shame if the photo got out. The second one listed instructions for Aubree to follow with a threat that if she brought the Turtles or the police, she would be dead, and the photo would be leaked. The Turtles were shocked by what they saw.

"My son, is that you?" Splinter demanded.

"Yes, it's me, Sensei," Leo replied. "I told you about this, remember?"

"But you did not say that you were photographed," Splinter replied sternly.

"We didn't know about that," Leo protested. "Someone had to have been hiding in the bushes, but I don't see how they could have taken such a clear picture."

"Well, sometimes you can make an image clearer if you have the right software," Don piped up. "Maybe that's what this guy did."

"That's just fasicinatin', but what the shell are we gonna do now?" Raph demanded. "She's already gone after this person."

"We go there and interfere if it gets dangerous," Leo answered. "If Cynthia's involved we can rescue her, too. If not, then maybe we can interrogate whoever's behind this and see if they'll talk."

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about," Raph said gleefully.

Splinter looked seriously at all of his sons. "My sons, I want you to be careful and to stay safe," he cautioned them. "Bring Miss Hennigan and Cynthia home safely if you can. I will stay here with Brianna."

"We'll bring them home, Sensei," Leo promised. "And we'll be careful. We always are."

Mikey put a hand on Brianna's shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll bring Cynthia home," he reassured her. She nodded as he squeezed her shoulder.

As one the Turtles bowed to their father and left to carry out their mission. Their father watched them go with the same wish he always had on his lips whenever the left their home: "Be safe, my sons."

A/N: And that's the end of another chapter. Just one more to go, and this story will be finished. I really hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I'll get it up as soon as I can. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Here I Come

A/N: So, it has come down to this. The final chapter of Hide and Seek is here. It's taken me a long time to get to this point, but it's finally here. I want to send a big thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story as well as put it on their favorite list and their alert list. I really hope you enjoy the conclusion to this epic story. So buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. Aubree Hennigan belongs to me.

I crept toward the warehouses, my heart beating rapidly. This was it: The final showdown between Rosolli and me. I was determined to see him go down for good. If I couldn't send him to jail, then I would kill him so he wouldn't harm anyone else. And if I died, I'd do my best to take Rosolli down with me. I knew that what I was doing was reckless, but I had no choice. The message had instructed me to come here. However, I had a backup plan; one that Rosolli would never see coming.

I traced my hand over the Shell Cell concealed in my bulletproof vest. I had it turned on so that Donnie could follow me. I had left my other phone at home and had left my text inbox open. Hopefully something would prompt Leo to go to my apartment and find my phone. He would see the photo and the text and understand why I was doing this. Would he stay away, or would he come rushing to rescue me? While one part of me hoped he'd stay away, another part of me hoped he'd come in and slit Rosolli's throat. That would be good enough for me.

I snapped out of my thoughts as I approached the warehouse. I took a deep breath and opened the door. The warehouse was lit with a bright bulb, and Mario Rosolli was standing in the middle of the room waiting for me. A young girl was tied to a chair. She had blond hair and blue eyes that were trained on the floor. Then the whole thing clicked into place.

As soon as I stepped into the room, Rosolli pointed a gun at me. "Stop right there, Hennigan," he ordered. "Close the door and don't take one more step."

I did as he asked and then glared at him, hatred filling me. I wanted nothing more than to charge him and pummel him to the ground, but I knew what would happen if I did that. Leo would probably lecture me about not following orders. Hell, he was probably going to lecture me later if I got out of this alive.

"I see you got my texts, Hennigan," said Rosolli. "Are you truly alone, or are the freaks on their way to save you?"

"I'm alone," I answered. "If they were coming here, they'd be on your ass so fast you wouldn't be able to stop them."

"Ah, ah, ah, watch your language," he replied. "We have a child present." He pointed to the girl.

"What is she doing here?" I demanded.

"She's bait for you," he answered. "I figured if you didn't receive my texts, you would find out about her on the news and come running to her rescue."

"Let her go!" I commanded. "She has nothing to do with this."

"Oh, I can't do that," said Rosolli. "If I let her go, she'll just blab to the cops about what went on here tonight. No, after I kill you, I'll dispose of her. That is, after I've had some fun of my own." He smiled lecherously.

"You sick bastard!" I yelled. "You would do that to a little girl?"

"I was talking about you, you idiot," he countered. "You remember the day we met? I bumped into you and you told me to watch where I was going. I really thought you were cute, Hennigan. I wish you hadn't rejected me that day. Such a shame I'll have to kill you. That is unless you leave the police and join the Purple Dragons. Then you and I would be a power couple. We'd get rid of those freaks and the Foot for good. What do you say?"

"Go to hell!" I snarled. "I'll never join you."

He laughed. "Wrong answer, sweetheart."

"What about the picture?" I asked. "You said you would delete it if I followed your directions."

"So, I did," replied Rosolli. He pulled out his phone and pressed some buttons. It seemed to take some time for him to delete it, but then he showed me the phone. The screen read, "Text deleted."

"Fine," I said. At least that ordeal was out of the way. "Now what?"

"Now I have to kill you," answered Rosolli. He cocked his gun, and I braced myself for the shot that would end it all. But then he lowered the gun. "Nah, shootin' you is too easy," he commented. "I've got another idea." He motioned wit is hand, and a group of Purple Dragons came out of the shadows. "I figured this would be better, and it would give me a chance to see what you got."

That didn't make me feel any better. I knew this wasn't a fight I could win on my own, but I was determined to take out Rosolli at any cost even if it meant fighting a bunch of his cronies first.

Before anyone could make a move, the lights suddenly went out. What had happened? The Dragons were just as confused as I was.

"What the hell's goin' on?" demanded Rosolli. "Who's there?"

There was the sound of breaking glass and then the sounds of a battle. I stayed where I was since I wasn't trained to fight in the dark. I heard weapons clash and thuds of what I assumed were the Purple Dragons being taken out. I heard Leo yell, "Don, get the lights!" and my heart lifted. He'd come to help me. My plan had worked, and there was nothing Rosolli could do about it.

When the lights came on, I saw most of the Dragons tied up with rope. Mikey was freeing the girl, who looked happy to see him while Don and Raph made sure they didn't miss any Dragons. Leo had Rosolli pinned down with a katana to his throat.

Rosolli smiled at him. "Are you gonna kill me, freak?" he demanded.

"You know, I just might," Leo growled. "You don't deserve to live after what you've done."

I saw Leo staring at Rosolli with a cold look in his eyes. As much as I'd wanted Leo to kill Rosolli when I first came here, I knew it wouldn't be a good idea. It would just repeat the cycle. "Leo, don't!" I yelled. "It's not worth it!"

Leo turned to me and stared at me with those cold eyes. "He tried to kill you, Aubree," he reminded me. "He killed Randy Turner in cold blood."

"I didn't do that," Rosolli protested. "Hun was the one who killed him. I just said that to scare the bitch away."

Leo pressed his katana to Rosolli's throat again. "Don't you ever call her that unless you want a quick death," he growled.

"Leo, stop it!" I cried. "Killing him would be the easy way out. Let me cuff him so I can send him to jail."

Once again those cold eyes stared at me. "Is this really what you want?"

I approached them cautiously and nodded. "Yes, this is what I want, I replied.

"Fine," Leo relented. He slowly got off of Rosolli but kept his katana positioned on him once I was closer. I rolled Rosolli over and snapped the cuffs on his wrists. I knew Leo wasn't happy about my decision, but I really didn't care at that moment. I just wanted Rosolli to pay for what he'd done.

"I'll get out, and when I do, I'll come straight for you, Hennigan," threatened Rosolli.

"Good luck with that," I retorted.

"The cops are on their way," reported Raph. "We just called 'em."

"Good," said Leo. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Meet us at the Lair when you're done."

I nodded as sirens indicated that the police were coming. The Turtles disappeared so fast, I barely had time to see it. I walked over to the girl who was still sitting in the chair, afraid to move.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked her.

"Yes," she replied. "Where's Brianna?"

"I don't know," I answered. "But don't worry, you're safe now. What's your name?"

"Cynthia," she replied.

Before I could say anything else, a group of cops burst into the warehouse. They had their guns drawn, but stopped in shock when they saw the group of Purple Dragons tied up and Rosolli in handcuffs. While they retrieved the Dragons and Rosolli, Ben hurried over to me.

"Jesus, Aub, are you okay?" he asked me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied.

"How the hell did you take down all of these guys?"

"I didn't," I told him. "I was in a standoff with Rosolli when the lights went out. I heard fighting, but I don't know who came to rescue me. When the lights came back on, the Dragons were tied up, and I put Rosolli in handcuffs before he could get away."

"So, you didn't see your rescuers?" asked Ben.

I shook my head. "Nope, hey left," I answered. "But I'm glad they came. They saved my life." Then I told him how I was lured here and how Cynthia was the bait. Then Cynthia recounted her tale of how she got kidnapped Ben listened to her story and wrote down everything she said to him.

"We have to take her to the station for a formal questioning," he noted.

"I'd like for it to wait until morning," I suggested. "She's had a long day, and I promised her I'd reunite her with her friend."

"Oh, I see," said Ben. "I guess it could wait. You want me to give you a lift?"

"No thanks," I answered. "I can handle it. But thanks anyway."

"No problem, sis," he responded. "But what about Cynthia? Doesn't she have a home to go to?"

"No, I don't," said Cynthia.

"I'm going to take her and Brianna to my house," I told him. "They can stay with me tonight, and I'll bring them to the station tomorrow for questioning."

"Sounds good," said Ben. "Take care, Aub. It was nice meeting you, Cynthia."

"You, too, Mr. Hennigan," said Cynthia.

I led her from the warehouse to one of the manholes the Turtles had told me about. It took me a few tries to get the cover off, but I managed to do it.

Cynthia's eyes widened in shock. "We're going down there?" she asked me.

"Yeah, this is where Mikey and his brothers live," I told her. "You'll be safe down here." I picked her up and carefully made my way down the ladder. Just as I got off the ladder, I heard a voice say, "Hey, Aub, it's about time you got here." I turned around to see Mikey smiling at me.

"Christ, Mikey, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" I growled.

"Sorry, but Leo told me to wait for you," he replied. He climbed the ladder and put the manhole cover back in place. Then he led us to the Lair, telling me about how he met Cynthia and how they became friends. We reached the Lair and were greeted by Splinter and a girl with red hair.

"Brianna!" cried Cynthia happily. She ran to her and hugged her tightly. Brianna let her go and began signing, though I had no idea what she was saying.

"Brianna was very worried about you," Splinter told her.

"Well, I'm fine," said Cynthia, signing at the same time for the benefit of her friend.

"Yeah, and Rosolli's behind bars at last," added Raph.

Just then, the eleven o'clock news came on, causing everyone to get quite. The anchor reported the raid on the warehouse and how Rosolli and the others were taken into custody. That brought a smile to my face, confirming that I had done what I had set out to do.

"In other news, a startling discovery has been made that many are confused about," said the newswoman. "A photograph was taken of what appears to be a mutant turtle." A picture was put on the screen, and my breath caught in my throat. It was the picture Rosolli had sent to my phone of Leo and me kissing! Everyone was shocked, but no one said a word.

"Many are convinced this is a hoax, but there are others who believe it's a real mutant," the woman continued. An investigation will be held if more evidence is revealed." Then she went on to some other news story, but none of us paid attention.

"Shell," whispered Raph. "I can't believe this is happenin'."

I didn't say anything because I couldn't find the words. Rosolli had lied to me. He had sent the photo before he'd deleted it, and now the whole world had seen it. The Turtles were exposed, and it was my fault.

End of Part One

A/N: What, did you think I was going to end it where everything is all good and Leo and Aubree share a passionate kiss and declare their undying love for each other? Well, think again because that's not how things are going to end up. This ride's just getting started, and I hope you guys will continue to be present for it. I'm not sure when the sequel will be up, but I'll try and have it up as soon as I can. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


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